Why did I buy this thing?!

I bought a polarizer long ago and I used it just a few times. And I really don't feel like using it but I don't want it to be unused; I paid money for it!
When and why should I use a polarizer? If the only thing that it does is making skies bluer, I shoot raw and so I can make the sky much bluer, so that's really not a motivation.

A polarizer will cut down glare - so it enhances the look of things that are typically prone to it in bright sunlight - namely water, snow, and even green foliage.

My advice would be to get it out, use it at lot for a while, and see what you think about its effect. It does much more than "make the sky bluer", and it will do things that are very difficult to replicate in post processing. You might find you like what it does.

My second piece of advice is to take the lesson from your polarizer experience and don't buy anything because someone says you should have it. Wait until you have a photographic problem to solve that equipment can fix, and get that equipment. Way too many photographers own way too many gadgets that just sit in bags somewhere.

Polariser filters can be a fickle thing.. They only work when the sun is at 90deg to your camera to get the best results.. Also, if your lens barrell rotates when focusing they can be a right royal pain in the butt..

Like SOK says it'll reduce glare on many surfaces so you'll see a great increase in saturation in your shots when using it.

I think you need to play around with it more Cry.

As others have said, it will more naturally render the sky bluer/darker, make clouds really pop, ad wonderful saturation and contrast to an image and reduce glare. Sure you can render a facsimile of these effects in photoshop - I know, I so so a bit too with my RAW files - but it's easy for such manipulations to often look a bit fake or overcooked.

As for when it should be used? Well, it's great for landscapes, architectural, scenics..... that sort of thing in strong bright light with good contrast. They'll do virtually nothing in flat cloudy light. Also, they are best when used at right angles to the sun. It's just a matter of pointing and then rotating it to achieve the desired maximum affect.

There's that old saying, GIGO.... if you start off with a beautiful quality image, there's less you have to manipulate to render a truly spectacular picture . - Stu

cryforashadow wrote in post #8675073
I bought a polarizer long ago and I used it just a few times. And I really don't feel like using it but I don't want it to be unused; I paid money for it!
When and why should I use a polarizer? If the only thing that it does is making skies bluer, I shoot raw and so I can make the sky much bluer, so that's really not a motivation.

yogestee wrote in post #8675822
They only work when the sun is at 90deg to your camera to get the best results..

This is only partly correct. When you are outdoors and using the polarizer to make the sky look more blue then it works best at 90 degrees to the sun. But when you are using the CPL to enhance or remove reflections it doesn't matter where the sun is or even whether the sun is visible.

How To Use A Polarizing Filter:

Skies
Water and reflective surfaces
Color Enhancement
Light absorption

Cry, here's an urban landscape I shot not too long ago. I was probably aiming about 110 degrees from the sun so the polarizing effect was pretty good but not at its maximum. There is a fair amount of PP in this image, but I had to have something decent to start with or I would not have gotten the finished picture.

Too many folks make the mistake of assuming they can create any great photographic effect in photoshop. Well, there is truth to that statement..... but will the final image look natural, overcooked, photographic or just plain poor. That depends upon both photographic skill and post processing ability.

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Yep, makes things pop given the right circumstances...esp the skies...

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