Blue Skies in Photographs

A couple of weeks ago I was idly trawling through the Internet, looking for anything vaguely interesting and I came across a blog for travel writers that was giving advice on photography.

Most of it was good, but I left a comment on the entry that the best bit of kit I carry with me is my circular polarizing filter. Working on the same principle as polaroid lenses, by rotating the filter I can make blue skies darker, which can have a dramatic effect and makes your photos look much more professional.

They work best when the sun is slanted sideways across the photograph - they have little effect if the sun is directly behind you or in front of you. They do cut down the light a little too, which used to call for careful exposure if using film, but with today's digital cameras is no problem at all.

All you need is a camera that is capable of taking filters, such as a digital SLR, and a filter with the correct size of screw mount. Typical sizes are 52, 55 or 58 millimetres and the correct size should be written on the front of your lens around the rim. Happy shooting!

My photograph here is of Wareham in Dorset, a town that retains some evidence of the old Saxon town walls built for King Alfred the Great as a defence against Norse raiders. It was taken in 1997 on colour negative film with a Canon EOS camera.