[kxjiru]

I shot some of my alumnus annual softball game today and I used a red filter. Subsequently we went for happy hour afterwards and I left said filter on. Will I have a problem? In terms of weird skin tones? The light was sort of contrasty at the brewery. Using a Pentax LX, K50 1.4 and a 25 red.

[mattt]

25 Red is like a 2 stop ND filter, I doubt on B&W you'll see weird skin tones. More like slow shutters will result in motion blurred images - even if you were shooting Delta 3200 wide open in a restaurant environment you'll have had sub 1/50 shutter speeds I'm guessing. If you were shooting outdoors before hand you probably have 400 film loaded - Hopefully you have steady hands.

[tuco]

You didn't notice the red cast in your viewfinder when you left that red filter on?

But to be clear, a Red filter with a Wratten number of 25 has a filter factor of 8 ( =3 stops). So to your camera's meter that is like shooting ISO 50 for 400 film and ISO 12 for 100 film. Not the ideal action photography filter I would be reaching for.

And its similarities to shooting with a ND filter is only half the story. To recap, a colored filter lightens its color and darkens the opposite color with various degrees as you move away from them on the color wheel. Blues and greens are colors a red filter will darken. Shadows have blue light in them. Old-school camera meters often place shadows at a pretty low value in high contrast scenes relative to its middle gray exposure to begin with. Add a red filter and often those shadows end up even deeper unless you're adjusting with some EV compensation or metering your own scene. That can be good if you want to crush your black for style and effect or bad if you want a good tonal scale representation.

So you can expect mostly a different tonal representations of some color by leaving that filter on and a sudden nagging feeling of needing a tripod.

[kxjiru]

You didn't notice the red cast in your viewfinder when you left that red filter on?



But to be clear, a Red filter with a Wratten number of 25 has a filter factor of 8 ( =3 stops). So to your camera's meter that is like shooting ISO 50 for 400 film and ISO 12 for 100 film. Not the ideal action photography filter I would be reaching for.



And its similarities to shooting with a ND filter is only half the story. To recap, a colored filter lightens its color and darkens the opposite color with various degrees as you move away from them on the color wheel. Blues and greens are colors a red filter will darken. Shadows have blue light in them. Old-school camera meters often place shadows at a pretty low value in high contrast scenes relative to its middle gray exposure to begin with. Add a red filter and often those shadows end up even deeper unless you're adjusting with some EV compensation or metering your own scene. That can be good if you want to crush your black for style and effect or bad if you want a good tonal scale representation.



So you can expect mostly a different tonal representations of some color by leaving that filter on and a sudden nagging feeling of needing a tripod.

The beer at the brewery was good. I noticed the red but I didn't think about it until I got home later. On the field I had a super A shooting RPX 25. The Neopan in the lx was just a holdover. As long as I get usuable images I'll be happy. My shadows will be dark though.

---------- Post added 06-18-16 at 09:40 AM ----------

25 Red is like a 2 stop ND filter, I doubt on B&W you'll see weird skin tones. More like slow shutters will result in motion blurred images - even if you were shooting Delta 3200 wide open in a restaurant environment you'll have had sub 1/50 shutter speeds I'm guessing. If you were shooting outdoors before hand you probably have 400 film loaded - Hopefully you have steady hands.

I had a monopod. Half the battle. Just a bit worried I might have ruined the photos. But I'm happy to get an image.

[stevebrot]

Will I have a problem? In terms of weird skin tones?

Interesting question! I would expect washed out lips and more pleasing rendering of skin blemishes, rosacea, and such on people with light-colored skin. I sometimes shoot Rollei Retro 80s, a film with extended red sensitivity and one of its more popular uses is male portraiture and nudes.


Steve

[stevebrot]

But to be clear, a Red filter with a Wratten number of 25 has a filter factor of 8 ( =3 stops).

Are you sure? I thought the filter factor was closer to 3.


Steve

[tuco]

Are you sure? I thought the filter factor was closer to 3.


Steve

Most yellow filters have a filter factor of 2 ( =1 stop). I guess it has been a while since you slapped on a red filter, eh?

[stevebrot]

Most yellow filters have a filter factor of 2 ( =1 stop). I guess it has been a while since you slapped on a red filter, eh?

I did a little walk through B&H filter offerings and it depends on the the filter and brand and whether it is a 25 or 25A. Some are as deep as 8 and others as weak as 3. Go figure


Steve

[tuco]

If a filter has a Wratten Number, than it's filter factor should be defined. It's a matter of making it that way I suppose.

[gofour3]

The Pentax Red filter was called a R60 (R2) and had a FF of 6x, the Schneider B+W Red filter is called a 090 and has a FF of 5x.

Phil.

[stevebrot]

If a filter has a Wratten Number, than it's filter factor should be defined. It's a matter of making it that way I suppose.

My thoughts as well. I was very surprised.


Steve

[ChrisPlatt]

Hey, that red filter should make for some dramatic skies - inside the pub!

Chris

[goatsNdonkey]

Light green filters are said to offer the most pleasing and natural tones for typical Caucasian skin. But red could produce some very different effects. People with rather pink skin might end up looking rather ghostly. Faint blue veins, which might normally be little noticed, will be darkened. Unusual characters in your pictures might look either more unusual or tamed down. The results could be interesting! Unfortunately, red beer at the brewery will come out as pale ale.

[kxjiru]

Light green filters are said to offer the most pleasing and natural tones for typical Caucasian skin. But red could produce some very different effects. People with rather pink skin might end up looking rather ghostly. Faint blue veins, which might normally be little noticed, will be darkened. Unusual characters in your pictures might look either more unusual or tamed down. The results could be interesting! Unfortunately, red beer at the brewery will come out as pale ale.

Luckily everyone I took pictures of is Caucasian, except me. I'm only in one or two though.

[tuco]

Light green filters are said to offer the most pleasing and natural tones for typical Caucasian skin. But red could produce some very different effects. People with rather pink skin might end up looking rather ghostly. Faint blue veins, which might normally be little noticed, will be darkened. Unusual characters in your pictures might look either more unusual or tamed down. The results could be interesting! Unfortunately, red beer at the brewery will come out as pale ale.

Red lipstick and green filters can make for black lips and goth looking. Yellow-green is the "classical portrait" filter. A green works for men for a rustic look because but often not too faltering for a older women when you want a smoother look because it will augment blemishes. At least that is my personal experience using a green filter in portraiture in the past.