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Shooting with a D-SLR does away with the need for filters, right? You can add your filter effect at the Photoshop stage, so why bother with the extra hassle and expense? Well, while Photoshop can do some of the things a filter will, it certainly can’t do all of them. And if you can avoid spending more time on the computer by getting it perfect at the taking stage, that’s got to be worth its weight in gold.

As a D-SLR user you should invest in a filter system from a manufacturer such as Cokin or Lee. Not every filter will be of use to you though. Colour correction filters are widely used with film but you can simply adjust the white balance on your camera instead and a warm-up filter has also been largely superseded by the white balance too. However, a polariser, a couple of neutral density grads and a straight neutral density filter are all worth having in your kit bag.

Recommended Filters To Use with D-SLRs

• Polariser:A polariser helps to reduce glare, removes reflections from water and will intensify colours. Blue skies can really sing when you use a polarising filter, but be careful not to overdo it or your sky might end up an unwelcome black colour. It does, however, reduce the amount of light entering the camera so make sure you’re still achieving the right shutter speed to prevent camera shake if you’re not using a tripod.
• Neutral Density (ND): A straight ND (ie non-graduated) filter is really only of interest if you want to reduce the amount of light entering the camera. You might want to do this for creative effect, such as when you’re blurring water or other moving subjects. Without a neutral density filter it could prove impossible to get the slow shutter speeds required for these techniques.
• ND Grad: ND grads can help balance exposures between light skies and darker land, so that highlight detail is retained in the image. A graduated ND filter is a real boon for landscape shots. It can help balance exposures between light skies and darker land, so highlight detail is retained in the image. To do this successfully in Photoshop, you’d need to expose one picture for the sky and one for the land, merging the two later. It’s effective but takes time and some precise Photoshop skills to get right.