In photography, a filter is something that you place in front of your lens (or, more rarely, between the lens and the film), in order to modify the light (and, consequently, the image projected on the film).
Filters can be made of glass, plastic or gel. There is about a million types of filters out there, and some of them produce
really nasty effects. The most common (and useful) are
- filters for black and white photography
- polarizers
- neutral density filters and graduated neutral density filters
- color correction filters (also known as CC) filters, used in neutralizing color shifts
- soft focus filters
- protective, like UVs and skylight filters
It is a common misconception to believe that filters will improve your photography. Filters are only a
tool for realizing a
concept; you can buy the tool, but the concept must be in your head.