Clearer photos with polarisation

This article was translated from Dutch with the help of AI. Read the original.

A polarising filter gives you a beautiful blue sky. It also removes reflections. A polarising filter can also reduce haze in a landscape. If you want it to.

Some photographers think that a polarising filter is intended to create a beautiful blue sky with white clouds standing out nicely against it. It can do that, but the filter is not specifically intended for this.

It is actually intended to remove reflections and glare from reflective or wet surfaces. Provided the angle of the incoming light is suitable. Colours also look better and warmer as a result.

There is a third reason why a polarising filter can be useful. It can remove haze from a landscape. This is especially noticeable with mountains.

The photo above was taken in Iceland, with mountains on the horizon covered by a blanket of clouds. Because of the distance, everything in the background has become hazy, causing details to disappear. That may be what you want, and it is also a natural effect.

The photo above is exactly the same, but now with polarisation. The haze disappears, making details much more visible and clearer. The colours also come out much better.

This is a wonderful example of what a polarising filter can do. Colours are rendered better, and the photo has more contrast. Haze disappears in the distance.

For your information, all the settings and edits are exactly the same for both photos. The difference between the photos was caused entirely by the polarising filter.

You are never obliged to use polarisation, and sometimes it is even undesirable to use it. So choose carefully what you want to show and use the polarising filter as an extra tool.

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