FILTERS GEAR
technical, while others aren’t filters at all. “We’ve seen a significant spike in colour correction filters recently,” Bolanos points out. “People are starting to shoot a lot with film again.” Interest in monochrome photography has exploded, too. Filters for black & white, such as green and yellow contrast filters, are in high demand. If we step away for a second from the filters, how are these filters being interfaced with lenses and cameras? Attaching them to cameras is a related but equally relevant field. “We have a magnetic system that allows filters to be attached,” Bolanos adds. “If you’re an event photographer, you don’t have time to sit there unscrewing a filter. With the world of smartphones and portable cameras in your bag, we have filter mounts specifically for phones. Interestingly, these behave a bit differently on mobile cameras. People are getting creative with their use.” At some level, almost anything could be – and has been – captured between layers of glass and used as a filter. However, creating consistent filters with a wide range of applications, Bolanos claims, involves considerable expert opinion. “We schedule filter tests with more than one person to have a bigger sample size. You‘ll find that those who love heavy filtration will say: ‘it’s a little weak for me’ if the filter is quite subtle. They end up using the higher densities. Then, the other people say: ‘nobody could tell I was using a filter!’”
BACK IN BLACK Schneider-Kreuznach’s Radiant Black filters (inset) give an analogue look; while the Diopter Spot (below) creates a sharp centre of frame
says. “In some cases, someone’s after a specific look for a specific type of film – the genre, the mood or the time period. We’re developing new products based on the needs and feelings and ideas a cinematographer is looking for. Sometimes, we create filters based on ideas that aim to introduce something new and inspiring to the market.” Tiffen’s most recent launches, Bolanos notes, “stemmed from feedback received by cinematographers and end users who loved what the Pro-Mists did but felt it was a little too strong for some of their projects. Therefore, rather than taking the Pro-Mist in 1/32 or 1/64, the new Soft Glow was born.” Not every product, though, exists to satisfy a creative need; some are purely
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