One of the most important pieces of equipment a scenic and nature photographer has is a Circular Polarizer filter. It can dramatically improve your images. The main reason why you want to use a Circular Polarizer is because it will increase the color saturation and contrast in your images. The sky will be deeper blue, reds will be deeper red, and all colors will be more vibrant and will "pop" out.

Polarizer	No Polarizer

The intensity of the effect can be varied by rotating the filter. Look towards the sun and rotate the filter and you will notice that the sky turns from light to darker shades. In addition to increasing saturation and contrast, a Circular Polarizer will reduce reflections off non-metallic surfaces.

Make sure you get a decent brand Circular Polarizer filter. I recommend Hoya or Tiffen. It will cost you around $30-$40, and it is well worth the money. There are cheaper brands out there that will work, but if you care about your images and have a good lens, you should put more money into a decent quality filter.

Article by Jeremy Baker