Cutting Reflections in Water

SCOTT KELBY

If you’re shooting streams or lakes, or really anything with water, there’s a filter you’re going to want to use that does something very important—it removes the reflection of the sky from the water and lets you see through the water. That way, things like rocks below the shore or in a stream, fish in a koi pond, etc., all suddenly appear crystal clear, and that can make for some very compelling images. The thing that surprises most folks is that it’s a filter that most photographers use to get bluer skies—a circular polarizer. As I mentioned in volume 1 of this book, a polarizer is indispensable for getting those blue skies, but it’s just as important for this overlooked double-duty of cutting reflections. Here’s how it works: screw the filter onto your lens, aim at the water in front of you, and then rotate the circular ring at the end of the filter, and as you do, you’ll almost magically cut through the reflections and see right through the water, as seen on the right here. It’s one of those things you really just have to try to appreciate it, but believe me—you’ll love it.