Colored filters for color shots

[Trainboy]

Can anyone advise me on whether a red or orange filter would bring out cloud detail better in my shots, especially when shot RAW and when properly adjusted for color?

[LarryD]

Color filters are used to bring out contrast in black and white photography... they are seldom useful in color work..

However, there are exceptions... A Skylight filter is slightly rose colored and can help with sky contrast and has the added benefit of blocking blues that are part of the haze spectrum.. it is a color correction warming filter..

Polarizers can also be rotated to align the light refraction and give the sky a different look.......... you can visibly see your efforts when rotating the filter..

If you want to experiment with color filtering, almost any post processing software can do it without the cost of a filter..

[Tony-S]

I think there are only two types of filters you should use with digital - polarizers and neutral densities. Everything else can be done with far greater control in post processing of raw images.

[argyle]

A colored filter will affect the entire image...you're better off using software filters and a layer mask to only affect the areas that you want to affect.

The "big three" for digital are the polarizer, neutral density (ND), and graduated neutral density (GND). Some will argue about the necessity for GND's versus software gradients, but IMO the filter produces a better effect. There's also gimmicky filters, but they're better off ignored as far as landscapes go :D .