Using This Feels Wrong… Until You See What It Does

Filter Suggestions:

Glow filters (aka black mist or bloom filters) are nothing new in photography yet I feel like I don’t see them talked about very much in the space of nature photography. I suspect this is likely because the majority of people in that space are very technical and want to capture images in the flattest, purest ways possible. I must admit it feels a little wrong to put something in front of my lens that, for all intents and purposes, slightly reduces the sharpness and “pure” quality of the images I’m capturing.

Is that such a bad thing though in today’s world of pristine images? Something I’ve noticed in myself over the past couple years is focusing less on needing to capture the perfect image and instead how to create something that feels artistic. That feels a bit less about my technical ability and more about the story I have to tell. In doing so I’ve felt like in many ways the technology in photography is spoiling, it almost feels too easy. Thus the idea of bringing a bit of life back into my images has felt refreshing. In some ways i’ve been doing this for years by reducing clarity in my images to make them feel a bit less digital.

Recently I’ve been experimenting with these glow filters made by Maven, specifically their 1/4 and 1/2 intensity variants in a bunch of scenarios. Below I have some high res examples of using the filters in different lighting conditions. One thing to keep in mind is that you’ll need to practice with these to learn how they effect your images. Sometimes I can’t even tell they are on my camera, other times they make the highlights bloom like a 1980’s soap opera.

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Music (Typically) from Musicbed:

0:00
1:33 What is a Glow or Black Mist Filter?
3:51 Can You Create the Same Effect in Editing?
6:58 Angle of Light Matters
7:50 A Great Tool in Your Photography Tool Kit
10:37 My Recommended Filters
12:12 When Not to Use These Filters
13:30 View Images in Higher Resolution

[koronka]

i honestly hate that my work only looks good after i bring it to lightroom, but thats why i own a lumix. I can throw my luts straight into a camera, i can customize everything however i want and since i bought couple of vintage lenses, i didnt even use my almost new 20-60. It seems like people stopped enjoying photography for the process, but enjoy it for the end result, but it should be both.

[AliasJimWirth]

Thanks for the video, Alex. I have a couple of these filters; I use them at night. Someone said they did little during the day. You have proven that wrong here. I will be giving them a try during the day, thanks to this video.

[scotttuckerphotography]

My X100 has a glow filter glued onto it, and I've shot it alongside my landscape kit for many years. I always appreciate the different vibe I get from it, and on the other hand, I appreciate a high resolution, detail-rich non-glowed-up landscape. Plenty of room for both. The issue I see with putting one of my landscape camera is that there is no going back in post. I have been sleep deprived, oxygen deprived, and food deprived while hiking too many times, thinking that I'm making absolute bangers, only to get home, rest up, and realize how wrong I was. Often, there are ways to claw back from that, but if I had a decently strong mist/glow filter on the shot, I have what I have. Tough spot when I probably traveled a really long way at considerable expense to get those photos.

[TemptedByf]

Fremen approved. I enjoyed it as well. Thank you.

[lindaspenard]

good morning Alex 🌈When you take a selfie you don't need a glow filter. You have an inner glow. 😇

[ChillinWithMissSue]

I love using the glow filter (1/4) for shoots over the weekend and loved it! 5:16

[randallkirkmusic]

About the Orton effect, I happen use it regularly in-camera in my multi-exposure work despite almost no awareness of this tradition. Point being, there are still those who work in the digital realm yet enjoy the magic and (thankfully) less predictable qualities of analog manipulation. With my Fuji camera's firmware being designed the way it is, these in-camera techniques are a large part of what makes the physical act of photography a joyful experience for me, and one largely missed when only sitting behind a computer to edit files.

[IKnowAGuyBicycles]

Love it! Learn something new every time. Keep up those adventures and lovely images.

[Jamesragno]

Alex, thanks for this video on glow filters. I just came across your channel in passing and have to say your explanation and video quality was excellent. I immediately subscribed. I am not proficient at editing yet and like to archive my images with settings in camera and using filters. cheers

[giusssepe]

there are filters that provide a bit of loom without that loos in contrast... I honestly prefer to keep the contrast on the image... cheers...

[montanaylago]

Street photography, specially at night, is a good field to explore/use mist filters…

[mtmccornack]

I've been rockin' star filters on my lenses these days.. in the daytime it has a bloom, where as any light source at night gets a serious rainbow flair. its not right for everything, but it does combat sterile/clinical overtones in modern photography. (also almost nobody uses them but me)

[pdcorlis]

Glow, glimmer, and shimmer filters are the secret sauce. The same is true with older lenses with low element and group counts without ED glass.

[Helme]

I have a Nisi 1/8. Use it at night for lightsources etc.

[jacksponsler]

Great video!! Photo at 11:36 is definitely portfolio worthy.

[Bibirikun]

what are the differences between a glow filter and a black mist filter?

[ciarakelleyphotography]

So the glow filters are a white mist? I can't actually tell from their website lol I have a few white mist and a few black mist filters I use and I'm always a little torn on which I want to use for what.

[cristibaluta]

This dude uses all the camera brands at once

[DR-fyqy]

Some great shots in this video. Were they taken at White Sands, NM?

[DogAle]

Love the look of that filter. And uh, Alex, Hasselblad X2D and Nikon z8? Have we been shopping?