The Why and How of Using a Polarising Filter to Photograph Water

Hey guys! Brent here with a brand new seven part Quick Tip series: Photographing Water and Streams.
Water is one of the more rewarding landscapes to shoot…AND it presents its fair share of challenges to overcome. Over the coming weeks, I will give you my favorite quick tips to help you in your water photography endeavors.

In today’s video, I’m in Happy Valley, standing in the middle of a stream to get the perfect shot of the flowing water.

The challenge (besides keeping my camera dry!): I want to see into the water in my final photo, but the sun is out and causing a harsh glare on the surface of the water. All I see is bright white highlights.
And that is where the circular polarizing filter comes in.

What is a circular polarizing filter? It is a piece of specially tinted glass that screws on to the front of your lens (similar to how a UV filter does) that counteracts light bouncing off reflective surfaces.

Notice that as I turn the filter, it changes the effect on the water, reducing the glare and allowing me to see the rocks just under the surface of the water. An added benefit of the filter is that it makes the foliage so much more intense and beautiful. The greens are simply amazing when using this filter!

Notice which image above has the polarizing filter added? Click the images to see them LARGE!

So remember, having a circular polarizing filter in your bag is essential when photographing water.

Watch this video

Your Feedback Wanted:

What questions do you have about filters?
Let me know in the comments section below.