Cross Polarization

[spfanatic]

Here's a few cross polarized macros. Comments appreciated as always :)

http://members.shaw.ca/primulaworld/pixel/TIB_2346c.jpg

http://members.shaw.ca/primulaworld/pixel/TIB_2332c.jpg

http://members.shaw.ca/primulaworld/pixel/TIB_2309c.jpg

And here's a "how to"....
http://members.shaw.ca/primulaworld/pixel/TIB_2356c.jpg

[MGlennn]

Too cool Pam :cheer::cheer: these are neat !! Something else to try rolleyes;

[Jerry]

Very inspiring Pam, really like the effect and the photography is spot on!! WTGo

[Ann]

I like these Pam! Very cool!

[Kevin]

Ok, I'm going to be dumb. I don't get what this is. What's cross-polarization? Is it a special kind of polarizing filter that you use? I can't quite tell from your illustrative shot.

Needless to say, I love your shots. Especially the 3rd one. You always have such interesting things for us to view. :)

[viewfinder]

Very cool Pam! I like that second one, very sharp!

I'm with Kevin, a little lost even with the "how to" in the last shot...

Regards,
Jonathan

[spfanatic]

Very cool Pam! I like that second one, very sharp!

I'm with Kevin, a little lost even with the "how to" in the last shot...

Regards,
Jonathan

Thanks everyone for the comments.

This is a fun thing you can try.... I'm sure you all have polarizers. The light is polarized with a polarizer filter (seen in the photo) and then cross polarized by a polarizer filter on the lens. The subject is a piece of hard plastic. Some plastics have the ability to alter the polarized light shining through them and the polarizer on the lens filters out all light but this altered light producing these cool colors. You can buy a sheet of polarized film to cover your light source if you want to photograph larger subjects.

So...light,polarizer,plastic,polarizer,camera....H ow about giving it a try and posting some shots?!! :biggrin:

[viewfinder]

Thanks everyone for the comments.

This is a fun thing you can try.... I'm sure you all have polarizers. The light is polarized with a polarizer filter (seen in the photo) and then cross polarized by a polarizer filter on the lens. The subject is a piece of hard plastic. Some plastics have the ability to alter the polarized light shining through them and the polarizer on the lens filters out all light but this altered light producing these cool colors. You can buy a sheet of polarized film to cover your light source if you want to photograph larger subjects.

So...light,polarizer,plastic,polarizer,camera....H ow about giving it a try and posting some shots?!! :biggrin:
Just as I thought, you need to have a science degree for all that... ;)

Sounds like a great challenge, now all I need is to find that second polarizer, or the polarizer film.

Thanks for the information Pam, very inspiring indeed.

Regards,
Jonathan

[Salsa]

The second shot is incredible!
This is inspiring:-) and I had no idea what you were even talking about til I read above!
Thank you for the explanation and for posting these!

Sally

[Kevin]

Question, Pam. Will this only produce this effect if lit from beneath? What happens if lit from the side or above?

Like Jonathan, I'm going to need to find a 2nd polarizer. This is a great project to do when stuck at home. :)

Thanks again for sharing the details and inspiring us once again. At least this one isn't nearly as complex as the drops one you shared. ;)

[spfanatic]

Question, Pam. Will this only produce this effect if lit from beneath? What happens if lit from the side or above?

Like Jonathan, I'm going to need to find a 2nd polarizer. This is a great project to do when stuck at home. :)

Thanks again for sharing the details and inspiring us once again. At least this one isn't nearly as complex as the drops one you shared. ;)

Well, I had difficulty holding the filter, plastic and pressing the shutter, so balancing it on a piece of glass worked well for me. I think it should work OK from other angles as long as the light is polarized, though I'm not sure what happens with reflected light. I haven't tried this, mainly because working with a small filter is restrictive. You can buy polarized film to cover a larger light source or flash, but my local camera store only sells it special order and in a large sheet for mega-dollars. Lots of experimentation to do here and I hope you give it a try and show us the results. It IS great fun to do when you are stuck indooors! :biggrin: Hey, but then so are drops.....rolleyes;