Introduction What is photography? The history of photography What this site will do for you Light: The most important element Why light is important to a photograph The many types of light Controlling light in your pictures The camera The basic function Types of cameras Choosing the right camera Putting the image together: the Lens How the lens bends light: a tutorial A brief introduction to apertures The variety of lenses Choosing a lens Exposure: a film tutorial How film records an image Understanding film speed Print vs. Slide film Film recommendations Taking Pictures Depth-of-field Apertures and shutter speeds Composition and experimentation: the basics Metering: when you can't guess The many types of picture-taking Photography with a point-and-shoot Accessories Tripods: for when you can't stay still Lens filters Post-processing: after development Scanning photos The digital darkroom Photo and equipment storage
Filters are used to, well, filter light that goes into the lens. While there is a huge variety of filters available, most are not essential for taking good pictures. In fact, you do not need any filters to take good photographs, though it would be good idea to have a couple-just for those rare occasions. The most essential filters are listed below.
U/V Filter- This is one filter in which you need to have. While it blocks out ultra-violet rays from the sun, its main use is to protect the outer lens element from being damaged. Every time you buy a new lens, make sure you buy a UV filter along with it, unless it is built-in.
Polarizer- This is important filter #2. Using this type of filter, especially outdoors, will reduce glare from shiny objects in your scene which would otherwise ruin your photo.
Neutral Density(ND)- These are useful when you need to decrease your exposure by a couple stops. When photographing landscapes, a split-neutral density filter will darken the sky by about 1 stop and keep the ground the same. These filters are used when there is no aperture diaphragm in the lens, such as in reflex lenses.
Color-compensation(CC)- These filters are mainly useful when photographing indoors with fluorescent light. Without a CC filter, fluorescent lights would emit a greenish cast on film. These filters correct this problem.
Diffusion(DIFF)/Fog(FOG)- These filters produce dramatic soft-focus effects on a scene-ideal for portraiture and some forms of candids. The FOG filter produces a similar effect as the DIFF filter, except it makes an illusion of fog in a scene-excellent for overcast days.
These are basically all the filters you may need to have handy. While there are many others, they are only for very rare occasions which are not typical. Now that we learned all about camera acessories, we can move on to post-processing equipment and techniques.