Why I don't use a polarizing filter

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This image is OK in my view, except the sky is a bit weak and the desert could use a little more punch in the colors. I will get to the way I fix this in a second but first let me tell you why I don't use a polarizing filter:

They are a pain in the butt to use. You have to turn the polarizer in order to make the sky lighter or darker, sometimes it works and sometimes it don't. If you see no change in the appearance of the sky, you need to change your angle to the sun. It does not take much of this before photography stops being fun and starts being a pain. Far too often only a part of the sky is darkened because of the angle between lens and sun.

Other lesser factors are the cost of buying a polarizer for each lens, losing one or two f-stops and having more junk to carry around.

I have not used polarizers in years and the reason I get away with it is this:

Click on image for a better view

I use LAB color in CS5 to punch up the sky a bit and I can do it in the comfort of my home, sipping on ice tea instead of fiddling around with a polarizer out in the desert.

The first step in the above picture was to create a new layer and select just the sky. With CS5 that is easier than ever. The quick selection tool is a miracle of modern science.

Once I have the sky selected I go to Image-Mode-Lab color. Next click Image again and select Apply Image. Click OK on the Apply Image panel. Now you have to click Image again click on Mode and then click RGB Color to get back to normal. I have this in an action I wrote, so the process only takes seconds.

You can read all about LAB colors on the net, just google "photoshop lab color" to get all the information you never wanted in the first place.

Scott Kelby has a good series of books called "The Adobe Photoshop CS(pick your number except 5)

You should get the book for CS5 as soon as it's released. I have mine on pre-order with Amazon.com. The book will be out some time in August. This is the only book in photoshop that I bother with. I can read it at my leisure and then go to the computer and work Scott's examples.

In the following example I really punch up the colors by not selecting just the sky but doing the entire image.

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A lot of outfits selling plugins that promise super-duper colors are actually just using LAB color.

I believe photo editing is everybit as important as composing an image and most certainly is a fundamental part of photography.

If you like the post then please use the provided links for your shopping. Stay safe and have a fun time with your camera.

Don't forget to write me if you have any tips, or news. I like to hear from you!

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