Pack a polariser

A polarising filter is not just for water and windows: it’s the perfect way to boost colours If there is one accessory you should take out with you in the summer, it has be a polarising filter. It might not be the most obvious choice, but it’s the secret weapon that can really give your shots the real edge at this time of year. Unlike a tripod, a polariser is easy to pack, so you can find room for it in any camera bag.

It is best-known for helping you remove reflections from windows or stretches of water – a particularly useful trick in the town or country in bright conditions. But it’s the ability of a polarising filter to saturate colour that makes it particularly useful when you are out and about during the summer. Paintwork, stone walls and foliage all reflect clouds and neighbouring structures – but with a polariser you can eliminate this unseen haze, creating images with greater saturation.

There is also the polariser’s ability to strengthen the blue of a summer sky, and accentuate the shape of clouds. Just remember that the filter works better in some directions than others (anywhere along an arc 90 degrees from the sun), and that the effect is variable, from subtle to strong. Simply turn the front element of the filter until you get the degree of saturation you want.

Wait until the sun is as near the horizon as possible, where its light travels through more of the earth’s atmosphere