Am I expecting too much with a polirizer?

[Farno]

Without filter and with a polarizer filter fitted. I was wanting to significantly cut the glare of the reflected sunlight out for surfing kitesurfing shots.

The contrast between the Sea and the Sky is working better but it all seems a bit hit and miss at the moment .
It a Praktica circular polarizer, should I add another filter into the mix something like a UV filter?
Just a newbie learning, sorry if it obvious!

I decided to shoot the second set with the Sun in the frame just to see what would happen and it seems to have done a better job.

[Yandros]

UV filter won't help. Don't expect the polarizer to work miracles either. I'll ask the obvious though - are you rotating the polarizer to get the best result? Also, to fix the exposure between sky/land you probably want a graduated filter of some sort

[stevegreen]

Circular polarisers will always be more effective when the lens is pointing at 90 degrees to the sun, thats when you will notice the best increase in saturation etc when it is rotated. You should be able to reduce glare significantly though. I assume that you rotated it to see the effect?

[Farno]

Yes i rotated it

Now I just feel plane stupid

[richard plumb]

that second photo looks like you're pointing directly at the sun. you'll get hardly any polarising effect there.

[Farno]

So a cross-shore shot in those conditions would be better and rotate the filter to get the best polarization.

Thanks everyone for the help

[Tobers]

Yep - spot on to the above posters. You'll get virtually no effect pointing straight at the sun, and greatest effect 90 degrees to it.

[T0MAT01]

Originally Posted by Tobers

Yep - spot on to the above posters. You'll get virtually no effect pointing straight at the sun, and greatest effect 90 degrees to it.

Indeed, and for this reason you will find a Polariser very useful if you are shooting around mid-day when the sun is virtually straight up and therefore at 90 degrees to all horizons.

[Steve Zissou]

This is roughly 90 degrees to the sun (and a lot clrearer day!)