Photo Filters for Black and White Photography, Jos. Schneider Optische Werke

Photo Filters for Black and White Photography

The decision whether to use black-and-white or color depends mainly on the task to be fulfilled. If a good rendering of distance is required, a black-and-white film with an orange or red filter is by far the most expressive. Black-and-white shots with strong color filters produce very different pictures. The following table offers some reference points :

Red filter	Harsh reproduction, intense color deviation, strong cloud formation, good rendering of distance, even with haze.
Orange filter	Similar effect as red filter, but not such harsh contrast and fewer color deviation effects.
Yellow filter	Functions without color deviation.
Green filter	Best for landscapes with a lot of forest and meadows. Creates a contrast between different shades of green.
Blue filter	Intenifies haze, reduces contrast, produces a mist effect, obscures the distance.

Methods used for black-and-white film are not possible for color film. It is possible, however, to intensify the prevailing mood using strong color filters. Thus, a blue or green filter in rainy weather intenifies the expressiveness of the shot. Sun-drenched landscapes can be changed by means of red or purple correction filter. The whole procedure demands more flair and experience than for black-and-white shots. On the other hand, unfiltered landscapes often produce disappointing results.

Fig 1: Additive hue wheel

The complementary colors play a special role for the creation of color contrasts in the color direction. They work with color photos usually harmoniously and pleasantly. Fig. 1 shows the additive hue wheel, in which the complementary colors face each other.

For the black-and-white photography in connection with color filters it means: The dominating filter color, uninfluenced by the lens, exposes the negative film ( dark ), while the complementary color will be filtered out and leaves the negative film unexposed (light). On the other hand the photo development reverses the black-and-white conditions. As simple mnemonic may be considered:

In a black-and-white photo the filter color is given lighter,
the complementary color against it is given darker.

The Graffiti in Fig. 2 was photographed with a blue and red color filter. It shows exemplarily the effect of color filters in the black-and-white photography.

Fig. 2: Color photo	Fig. 3: B&W photo without filter
Fig. 4: B&W photo with B+W 081 blue	Fig. 5: B&W photo with B+W 090 red