Polarizer

I finally took the plunge and bought a polarizer for my 17-40L lens a couple weeks ago. I'd been hesitating because I didn't want to spend $170 on a good one quite yet, but I knew it was necessary, and so far, I have loved it. I had one with my previous wide angle lens, but I didn't use it much. I took this one out to the beach a couple days after it arrived in the mail and thought I would share what a useful tool it is.

A polarizer cuts glare, as well as saturates colors. This image, I was not utilizing the polarizer, so the water and sand in the foreground look to be continuous, when the direct foreground has a blue, silky glare. I like the effect, but sometimes the glare is distracting.

This image shows the effect of the polarizer taking the glare off the sand, as well as allowing the rocks under the water to peek through, despite the long exposure. I was surprised by how well the colors were saturated at a long exposure versus a not so long one that I observed as I sorted the images.

I am excited to keep experimenting!