Help!.. woman with CIR-Polarizing issues?!?

[geisha]

i must firstly explain that i am a grain bearer amongst the pixies.. and i need feedback for a 35mm... regardless i have just purchased a hoya cir-polarizing filter (such anticipation i owned as it was placed into my hot little hands.... hehehe).. but i am so diaapointed... i obviously do not know what i am doing :cry: .. they were so underexposed.. going by my mistakes i would conclude that i only use it in (strong) specular light... is this correct?

[robertwgross]

Would you care to re-phrase that?

---Bob Gross---

[Jesper]

What exactly did you do?

A polarizer filter is mainly useful for two purposes: (1) minimize reflections off of non-metallic surfaces and (2) enhancing the contrast of the blue sky against the clouds.

Using a polarizer is simple: put it in front of your lens, turn it until you see the desired effect through the viewfinder, meter and shoot. Polarizer filters are dark, they take away between 1 and 2 stops of light, so if you're not using the built-in light meter of your camera, you should compensate for that.

[scottbergerphoto]

Polarizers are most effective when you are at a 90 degree angle to the sun. Usually that means the sun is at your shoulder. It does reduce the light entering the camera by 1-2 stops. Unless you are in M mode, the camera meter will adjust for this automatically. If you are in M mode you still have to start with the needle in the middle before you adjust for extreme tones(white, black).
Scott

[stopbath]

If you're metering through the lens, meter after you apply the filter and compose the shot.

Do not compensate if you meter through the lens!

If you're metering hand held, or through a camera meter that does not go through the lens, you'll have to know how much compensation to use.

Meter a scene without the filter. Write down the reading.
Meter the scene through the filter. Write down the reading.

Do this a few times to 'average' out the readings. Whatever MOST of the readings change by, that is what you need to compensate for.

Say your meter readings usually without the filter are f8 at 1/100, and with the filter, the new reading is f5.6 at 1/100. That is a one stop increase. Then, when ever using the filter, just 'gain' a stop of light (fstop or shutter speed - your choice) The filter guide will have a compensation number for you, but test anyways.

[geisha]

thanks guys immensly.. i have not only learnt where i went wrong, but also how to overcome my heartache.... i was devestated when i got those terrible prints back!!!!

and in case any of you had curiosity i was reading the light through the lense.

thanks again
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