What is a Glow Filter and Why have I been using it so much recently?
Glow filters (aka black mist or bloom filters) are nothing new in photography yet I feel like I don’t see them talked about very much in the space of nature photography. I suspect this is likely because the majority of people in that space are very technical and want to capture images in the flattest, purest ways possible. I must admit it feels a little wrong to put something in front of my lens that, for all intents and purposes, slightly reduces the sharpness and “pure” quality of the images I’m capturing.
Is that such a bad thing though in today’s world of pristine images? Something I’ve noticed in myself over the past couple years is focusing less on needing to capture the perfect image and instead how to create something that feels artistic. That feels a bit less about my technical ability and more about the story I have to tell. In doing so I’ve felt like in many ways the technology in photography is spoiling, it almost feels too easy. Thus the idea of bringing a bit of life back into my images has felt refreshing. In some ways i’ve been doing this for years by reducing clarity in my images to make them feel a bit less digital.
Recently I’ve been experimenting with these glow filters made by Maven, specifically their 1/4 and 1/2 intensity variants in a bunch of scenarios. Below I have some high res examples of using the filters in different lighting conditions. One thing to keep in mind is that you’ll need to practice with these to learn how they effect your images. Sometimes I can’t even tell they are on my camera, other times they make the highlights bloom like a 1980’s soap opera.
All of these are not edited (aside from the stone image which has the same edit applied to both images) and should give a really good idea of what these filters can do.
If you’d like to see an image in even more detail, you can download a full Hasselblad 100MP DNG right here to zoom into your hearts content. There will be an image with and without the glow filter on. All I ask is for your email in return!
100MP Hasselblad X2D DNGs
While I do recommend the maven filters, you might already be locked into a different system or you’re just looking for something that isn’t magnetic. Here are a few links to different brands for their Glow (blackmist, bloom) filters you check out.
Would love to know your thoughts about these filters and their effect on the images. Would you use one?