To misterB: Clouds

[djnik2004]

They are the same clouds - totally unique! ive only just got the polariser, this was my first outing and the shots didnt come out as well as i had hoped, i think the problem was the lack of sunshine and it was a little hazy, its very different using a polariser on my DSLR compared to my old digicam, do u have any techniques you use to get the maximum effect from the polariser?? also this was shot using RAW for the first time, its going to take a while to get used to converting images and correcting them on the computer rather than letting the camera do all the work!

[misterB]

I've had to sit and think about what I actually do when shooting a photo with the polariser to get the maximum effect.
I find that it's best to be between 90 to 135 degrees away from the sun if you are looking for effect in the sky, in reality any angle will do apart from directly into the sun.
On my filters, the line between effect and no effect while rotating the front element is a very fine line, and this can be annoying at times if you re-compose or re-focus your shot.
I've been out yesterday having a bit play with DOF and polarisers - the easiest way to see the pronounced effect, is to do what I did and go and stand in a field of oil-seed rape on a day with a clear blue sky. You get the ultra saturated colour of the yellow as well as the blue of the sky.
As for RAW, my best advice is to make sure you save your RAW file, and then play with all the variables to see what thay all do. Nowadays I only adjust exposure, temp and tint if needed, and very rarely alter any other setting. I don't know what software you use, I use Adobe PS Elements 4, and this lets me open the file from the photo browser, adjust the it, open it in photo editor, adjust it again (contrast, levels, resize etc), and then finally save for web - this way I'm only actally saving the file once so reducing any chance of loss of quality you get when you save.
It's basically a game of trial and error, but a game that's fun to play.
Alex.