She Kept A Parrot
A Journal For Charlie
Fun With Filters
Polaroid Close Up Camera Lens Filter Kit
+1, +2, +4, +10 Diopter Filters
That’s what it said on the box.
I was surprised that I’d actually ordered the correct size.
Rick Braveheart talked about filters and converters in a couple of his posts.
They are cheap and easy to use, he said.
Cheap and Easy
A concept I could understand…
So, I screwed the +4 filter onto the lens
And
Away I went to make a macro.
I believe that all of these photographs were taken with the +4 filter.
However, I am not certain that some of them weren’t taken with a converter
And perhaps a filter too.
Hey, I was screwing on stacks of converters
And filters
And squinting and swearing
And forgetting which combo I used last.
So, I am guessing that most were taken with the +4 filter.
If you don’t have a set of these filters
And you’re as camera un-savvy as I am (which is highly unlikely)
Treat yourself to a set!
They’re fun
They’re cheap
And they are easy to use
Exactly as Rick said they are.
(You know I couldn’t resist a color photo or two at the end!)
🙂
60 Comments on “Fun With Filters”
Leave a reply to George Weaver Cancel reply
She Kept A Parrot 
All superb compositions. 🙂
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Thanks, Joseph. I really did have fun with the filters. 🙂
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Hi! Great photos! What gears are you using?
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Hi, GDE! I used the Nikon D5100 with a Nikkor 18-200mm lens and a 2x filter. Thanks for the visit and the nice compliment. You have some lovely images on your site! 🙂
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I like the soft feeling on those high key shots. Cheap and easy – that’s a concept I can like.
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Thanks, Cardinal. Yep, they really are cheap and easy to use! Hardly anything is cheap or easy anymore! 🙂
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Omigosh, George, these are fantastic!
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Thank you, Carissa. I always wanted to be able to “make a macro”, but I could never get close enough. The filters are easy to use even with my tremor. The 2x is particularly useful in the kinds of shots that I usually take of the flowers. I used it in the shots of the tulips in my last post. It just gives me more detail to work with. I’m glad you like these! 🙂
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I may need to get some!
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What f/stop do you use with these?
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Ha-ha. What f/stop? Auto. The Exif says that the lens was the 18-200mm at f/5.6. The camera was not set on macro. It’s a D5100 and the lens is an 18/200mm. 🙂
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so dramatic and beautiful 🙂
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Thank you, Joshi. I was glad to find a means of getting a bit closer to the subject. I bought a 100mm Nikkor VR lens a couple of years ago, but I have never been able to focus it. A case of aspiration outstripping capability… 🙂 Thanks for stopping by to visit!
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They are all beautiful …. shots 4 & 5 are my favorites. Beautifully captured.
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Hi, John! I’m sorry it took me so long to respond to your very kind comments. #4 and #5 are the best of the lot. I had never used magnifying lenses before, so I was a bit confused about what I was doing. I have a fairly serious hand tremor that causes me a lot of trouble with camera shake. The 2x filter is particularly helpful because it captures more detail and definition for me to work with in Ps to reduce camera shake. Thanks for stopping by to visit. I really do appreciate it, John. 🙂
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Beautiful! I’m the same way – shooting away, forgetting which photo was taken with which whatever…and hey, I just got a set so this is so timely! 🙂
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I am excited to have found the 2x filter since I can screw it on my walk-around lens and take it off and into my pocket when I don’t want it. With my tremor, I find that I can get more usable images because I get more detail and definition with the 2x (for Ps to use to reduce camera shake). I was surprised to find that the quality of images was not affected by the filters. They were so inexpensive compared to a macro lens that I was skeptical until I used them. I bought a 100mm Nikkor with VR a couple of years ago, and I’ve never been able to focus the thing. Thanks for stopping by to visit, Lynn. Have fun with your filters! 🙂
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I love these images, George, they’re absolutely wonderful – and especially so the mono ones – really good photography! I can just imagine you squinting and swearing – I would of course have had my hands over my ears … 🙂 I hope you’re doing fine! Adrian
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HI, Adrian. I’m fine. Just stumbling around as usual. Chuckle… It’s freezing cold here! We had eighty-degree weather and now it’s back to cold! I will be ever so happy to see spring when she finally decides to show her tardy self. I suspect the Climate God has her imprisoned on some trumped-up charge like flirting with Mr. Sun… Yes, I definitely would have offended your tender sensibilities with my awful swearing. I’m glad you like my macros. I’m having a good time with the filters and converters. I bought a 100mm Nikkor lens with VR (my tremor, you know) a couple of years ago, but I could never focus the thing! So, I was happy to find something that I could use without a tripod!
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Beautiful, George! Experimenting is such fun, isn’t it?
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Hi, Sync! Glad you liked the roses. Yes, I am having a good time with the filters and converters. They really do help me since I have the hand tremor. They provide a bit more definition and detail, even when I only use the 2x filter. I was happy to find that one. Thanks for stopping by to visit, Sync. 🙂 I am excited about your success with the new blog. Have fun!
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Those images were so beautiful that I had a physical reaction! ~sigh~
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Ah, Mensa Girl! You are so damn funny! How are you? It’s been forever since I saw you last. I’m glad you liked the photos. Thanks for stopping by! I really do appreciate it, and I loved seeing your pretty, smiling face! 🙂
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Beautiful. As I only have an iPhone camera I miss out on the filters. I believe you can get attachments so maybe that should go on my list 🙂 I love macro photos
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Hi, Marie. Sorry it took me so long to respond. Yes, you can get up to an 8x-10x telephoto, macro, fisheye, and wide-angle lenses for the iPhone. Lots of people use the Olloclip, I think. I don’t use the iPhone because it is too small for me to hold steady. I have to use a big-body camera that I can grasp firmly because of my tremor. Macro photos are easy to take with magnifying lenses. Thanks for stopping by, Marie!
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They’re beautiful shots, George, whatever combination you used. And I’m glad you couldn’t resist temptation – love the colour in the final shot, particularly.
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Thank you, Richard. I was as excited as a kid with a new toy. My tremor is a real problem, so when I am able to get the focus right, I am happy. I bought a Nikkor 100mm lens with VR a couple of years ago, but I have never been able to focus it. I had given up on any close-up photographs until Rick talked about the magnifying filters and the converters. They allow me to get magnification without using a sensitive lens since I can use them on my existing lenses. I was pleased with the results. I’m glad you liked the color. The low-light situation produced muddy shadows on the faintly-colored roses, so I had little choice except to convert most of them. I love color too, as you know. 🙂
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These are absolutely gorgeous woman!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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My cheerleader! 😉 Thanks, Suzanne. I think you and I are getting better at this stuff. I just scrolled through the posts that I’ve missed on your blog. Those photographs are really good. Really. I would like to see a published photo book of the animals and birds from “A Window Into the Woods”. Published in accurate colors on good paper. Like Blurb uses. I ordered one for Charlie with a few photos just to see the quality of the printing. It’s very good from blurb, and I’m sure other self-publishers are just as good. Get a collection together with broad spreads across two pages for a few and your narrative with them. Their templates are flexible and easy to use. 🙂
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I looove the idea! I’ll be checking out blurb, a.s.a.p.
Any images that you’d suggest?
Your photos truly do just get better and better…THEY should be in a photo book!
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What great results, George! I can see how you got so excited to try it all out that you didn’t even think of taking any notes of the combination of filters and settings you used. The same would have happened to me. It’s like being a kid in the candy store. 🙂
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Thanks, Andelieya! Yes, I had such a good time experimenting that I lost track of what I was using! I do like new toys. Even as old as I am. I learned long ago that taking myself too seriously would never make me happy. Now, I wander around blissfully appreciating whatever I see and allowing myself to be unabashedly enthusiastic! Thank you for stopping by to visit. I like your Gravatar. It’s wonderful.
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I have no idea what filters or converters are…but I like your experimenting! I had to stare at the first photo for a good while before it hit me! Oh, it is the inside of the flower! (that is remarkable)
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Hi, WL! Yes, it’s the reproductive system of a tulip. Tulips are autogamous. Few plants are, really. The tulip is a simple flower. Its strong leaves and stem and broad petals are pleasing to me. I like it. Thanks, WL.
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Really nice George. What more can be said? D
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Well, I dunno’, but I’m glad you like them, Dave. 🙂 I was pleased that I could hold the camera steady enough to photograph them with the filters. Photography is fun when we don’t take ourselves too seriously. Well, life is fun when we don’t take ourselves too seriously. Chuckle…
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The 1st shot looks like something from outter space.
LOVE the rose photos!
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It is. It’s the “genitalia” of a tulip! Chuckle…
Thanks. I’m glad you like the roses! I had fun with these filters. 🙂 And, Thank you for all of the tweets on my posts!
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You’re welcome my dear George.
{Hugs}
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{Hugs back!}
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I am usually a fan of colour, but your soft, creamy roses look fabulous in monochrome! Sounds like great fun George 🙂
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Thanks, Madhu. I prefer color too, but the low light caused the shadows in the roses to be a muddy brown color, so I converted them. I really did enjoy playing with the filters. Of course, I have a ton of color photos too. Wouldn’t you know it! Chuckle…
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exquisite details in these photos, love the subtlety of the colours in the rose petals.
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Thanks, Jackie! I had such fun experimenting with the filters. I discovered that the 2x filter is great for extra detail in regular shots. I have a familial tremor in my hands, so any help I can get with detail is a real bonus. Thanks for stopping by to visit. I appreciate it, Jackie! 🙂
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I just think you were having too much fun to worry about which filter you were using! I really like the middle one in color. I am ready for warmer weather this weekend. Have fun with your new toys!
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Thanks, Jo Nell. In typical George fashion, nothing is in order. And I can never remember what I did later! I really did have fun with the filters. We’re going to have to wait on the warm weather, I think. It’s cold here. We had eighty degrees for a few days, but we’re back to the same misery again! I’m ready for spring too! 🙂
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So many creamy dreamy shots George!
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Thank you, Patti. I’m glad you liked them. I’ve had a lot of fun with the filters. 🙂
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Some really good stuff there. Well done George.
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Thanks, Mike. I really enjoy the filters. At this stage, I’m not very hard to entertain! 🙂
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Very nice photography. Love those roses… especially in color.
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Well, thank you, Shimon. I found the filters easy to use. I bought a Nikkor 100mm VR lens a couple of years ago, and have never been able to focus the thing. 🙂 I really enjoyed your last post. The photo of you and Nechama together was so good to see!
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The filters or whatever you did created some beautiful photographs!!!
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Thanks, Linda. It’s going to get really cold again in Denton, I think. It’s already colder here. UGH! 🙂
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To the untrained eye (i.e me!) these are all lovely, George, but my favourite is the first rose photo. Now was that filtered or not? And the pretty pink last one 🙂
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Hi, Jo! The last one was definitely a #4 filter. If you mean the first rose, that would be the black and white, stark one. That probably had a converter ring (the rings that fit between the camera and the lens) and a #2 filter on the lens. I’m just not sure. At any rate, if you want more detail in your close up photos, I highly recommend a set of the Polaroid filters. They fit right onto the lens and only give you a bit more detail. Focusing is not affected. Thank you for the visit, Jo! 🙂
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Love the looks. I don’t know which is my favorite, probably the “simple” white one.
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Thanks, Riso. I had fun with them. 🙂
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These are beautiful… whatever you used, doesn’t matter the results are great… keep on experimenting you’ll soon remember what combos work best…
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Thanks, Rob! Actually, I might use the #2 filter a lot since it gives a bit more detail and clarity to photos without giving too much magnification. I won’t remember next time, I can assure you! It’s the Mad Cow, I reckon. Thanks for stopping by to visit! 🙂
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