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by Kevin Lane
Back in the days of camera stores in every city and even in every shopping mall, it was very likely that filters were the gear that sales people pushed on new customers immediately after camera bodies, lenses, and flashes. Very few new camera owners left the camera store without at least one filter in their shopping bag. It seems that they were a photography necessity, and not much has changed for today's film photographers.
But just how many of us really know what filters do and how and when to use them? For example, colored filters can have an impact on black and white photography, as this excellent post by filter maker Hoya explains. In fact, some of the most famous photographs ever made would not have been possible without a filter. A perfect example of this is Monolith, The Face of Half Dome by Ansel Adams, an image you all know well. The massive granite rock is backlit, so that most of its face is in shadow. Nevertheless, the intricate details of the face of the dome are present. However, the most striking element of the scene is the sky, which is almost entirely black. This was achieved by the use of a red filter that, as red filters do, filtered out the bright dominant blue light of the sky to the extent that almost no light reached the film. No doubt the black sky was a part of Adams' previsualization process, in which he visualized the final look of the print first, and everything that follows in the making of the photograph is meant to realize that image in his mind. And, as any of us who have studied Adams' work, it was a technique he used often enough to create an Ansel Adams 'style' that is immediately recognizable.
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| Wayne's filter kit. It's always in his large format camera bag, but does he ever use it? |
So, having known and photographed with Wayne for several years now, I found it curious that I cannot recall ever seeing him use a filter on his large format camera. After all, Wayne had credited Ansel Adams as an early influence. So, I put the question to Wayne in show #90, "How often do you use filters when making a photograph?" Sure enough, the answer he gave me was "rarely," and his explanation was simply that he doesn't like the dark sky look. I believe this answer says a lot about Wayne and a lot about Ansel Adams. Let's start with Adams.
You can say a lot about the work of Ansel Adams (and much has been said). His photographs are technically perfect, the subjects are significant, and the photographs are made of beauty as expressed in form. However, much of Adams' work expresses a sense of drama, and yes, his subjects had much to do with that. However, the black sky of Monolith, The Face of Half Dome helps create an emotional sense of the dramatic, something that is found in much of his photography. And we shouldn't be surprised by this, as Adams knew a thing or two about drama. First, he was a fine classical musician who in his youth desired and worked to become a concert pianist. Second, Adams wrote plays that he staged with his friends.
Wayne, on the other hand, is not at all a dramatic person. He tends to be quiet, thoughtful, and nuanced, while still being self confident. He is a smooth sailor in even the roughest seas. And when you look at his photography, you see subtlety in his expression. His photographs are just as technically perfect, his subjects are as significant, and beauty as expressed in form is present always. But his pictures express Wayne as a person, just as Adams' pictures do for him.
So, what does all of this have to do with filter? Answer: Filters, like any other piece of gear, are simply tools we use to make our photographs look like we imagine them and to shape them into expressions of our being. If a filter helps your photograph to look like you felt when you took the picture, then use it. If it doesn't, then don't feel compelled to use one. Experiment all you want, but follow up your experimentation with evaluation. Don't let trends shape you.
Speaking of Wayne's body of work, be sure to make plans for a visit to Athens, Tennessee during his retrospective show at The Arts Center. The show, which runs from April 20 to May 22, features fifty-one of his favorite photographs from fifty years of photography. The opening reception is on May 8 from 5;00 to 7:00 pm. I'll be there for that, and I hope to see you there as well.
A special thanks to all our listeners who have invested in the UJC Podcast with their financial support. Wayne and I will use these funds to pay for hosting expenses and also to make the podcast better. If you would like to support us, you can donate at our Ko.fi.com account. And thank you!
That's a wrap for show #90. As always, we greatly appreciate and value your feedback. You can reach us by email at unclejonesyscameras@gmail.com. You also can post comments on our on Facebook and Instagram pages. and if you want to help our podcast grow, you can do so by subscribing. By clicking the Subscribe button, you'll never miss a show.
Happy photography everyone. Go get some good pictures!
