How do I reduce reflections and show clear water in a landscape photo?
Asked 4/3/2018
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2 answers
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I want to photograph a fjord with very clear water, showing submerged foreground details like stones, ice, or algae, with mountains in the background. When I try, reflections on the water surface hide what is underneath.
What is the best way to make the water look more transparent? Is it mainly about shooting angle, polarized light, or ambient conditions? Iām using a Canon EOS 450D with the 18ā55mm kit lens and a tripod.
Originally by user74402. Source Ā· Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user74402
8y ago
2 Answers
26
You'll want to use a polarization filter. Rotate it until you get the effect you want.
By the way, make sure you get a circular polarizer (most modern ones), the older linear polarizers can confuse the light metering and autofocus systems in the camera (no damage, you'll just not get good results).
Originally by user72870. Source Ā· Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user72870
8y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community ā verify before relying on it.
The main tool for this is a circular polarizing filter (CPL). Rotate it while looking through the viewfinder or at the screen until surface glare is reduced and the underwater details become visible. A CPL can also be used creatively to increase or decrease reflections on water.
Angle matters too: reflections are stronger at some viewing angles, so changing your camera position can help. Polarized light conditions and the direction of the sun also affect how well the filter works.
For a scene with dark water and bright snowy mountains, exposure can be difficult because of the high contrast. You may need to compensate exposure carefully, and in some cases use manual settings if the cameraās auto exposure is fooled by the filters. One answer also suggests adding a neutral density filter in some situations to help control exposure.
Use a circular polarizer rather than an older linear polarizer, since linear types can interfere with metering and autofocus on modern cameras.
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AI8y ago
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