Polarizer Filter and Clouds

I looked through one of our Velux windows the other day and saw those beautiful clouds on the Kerry sky. A good reason for a photo and some practical advice. Clouds are a great subject and can be useful if you need something for your next Photoshop exercise.

 If you like to keep in control of things ( I do) and you like to have a certain look of your sky use a polarizer filter. It will allow you to set the saturation and contrast to a particular level and boosts the look of the clouds. The whole technical aspect of polarizer filters can be read on this wikipedia article: Polarizer Filter in big detail.
As usual, it is a matter of taste how much polarizing effect you apply or for instance if you are converting your colour photos in to black and white later on the computer a sky with a bit more power may work better.

Here are some samples: 

Polarizer Filter fully applied

Polarizer Filter half closed

No Filter

Polarizer Filter fully applied

Polarizer half closed

No Filter

Today with Claudes 24-105mm, no filter

Today with Claudes 24-105mm, no filter

Today with Claudes 24-105mm, no filter

Today with Claudes 24-105mm, no filter , 1/3 overexposed.

Thank you Claude for the lens and the coffee in Barbara´s Beach Café. The 24-105 is a great lens with a very good range for the full frame photographer and could be the "always on the camera " lens" for landscape photos and all other purposes like portrait and wedding.
 If you are investing in a Polarizer Filter keep in mind that a low quality filter in front of your expensive lens and camera body does no good to your image quality. For wideangle lenses go for bigger sizes as your filter thread and use adapter rings to prevent vignetting. Use circular polarizer filter only.
Give it a try. You will be surprised.