Module 2 Lesson 6

Introduction to Lesson 6: Using Filters and Effects

In the previous lesson, you learned that you can make dramatic improvements to pictures with editing tools. In this lesson you will learn more about improving your pictures using filters and special effects.

by flickr user Éole

This lesson is all about filters and similar effects. Traditional filters were glass and attached to the front of a camera. They added many special effects to pictures, including making colours more saturated, compensating for colour casts, etc.

With the arrival of digital camera technology and the computer, however, filters have really taken off. Most modern filters now are computer applications that load into your computer and add special effects to your pictures after you shoot them.

You will begin by studying examples and then explore the use of filters and similar effects.

At the end of this module, you will do a culminating final assignment that allows you to use many of the skills that you have learned throughout the entire course.

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Effects - Sepia

Here is a colour picture of dried corn stalks left in a field after the harvest:

Notice the colours in the sky and in the corn stubble.

Photographers haven’t always been able to capture colours like these. Pictures taken in the early days of photography, for example, were often sepia coloured. This is because the chemicals used to develop and print pictures a hundred years ago were not capable of producing colour. Instead, they produced monochrome sepia pictures. Sepia is a brownish colour. You may have seen very old pictures like this.

Today, although we have brilliant colors at our disposal some people still enjoy the old sepia coloured pictures. It makes the picture seem “old-fashioned” and is considered to be artistic.

Here is the same picture that has been converted to a sepia colour using an image editor. Which do you like better?

They are many other effects in addition to sepia. Your image editor will probably have a variety to choose from.

Note that effects can add an artistic element to your pictures. You may or may not like them, depending on your point of view. However, remember that photography is partly an artistic endeavour and your opinion may be different than other peoples’ opinions.

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Photo Effects Software – Image Tricks

There are lots of specialized “filters” that produce various effects. The names for the effects are not standard and similar effects can have different names in different programs, but produce a similar result.

Image Tricks is free software that you can use to edit your pictures using a variety of filters. Image Tricks is available only for the Mac, but there are similar freeware programs for Windows too.

Here is a picture of a wildflower taken at Riding Mountain National Park.


The next set of pictures shows a variety of effects applied.

Comic Book Effect / False Colour / Poster
Sun Effect / Zoom Blur

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Photo Effects Software– MagicEffect

Here are some similar effects created with a program called MagicEffect. This particular program is only available for Windows.

Burst / Swirl
Water / Frame


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M2 L6 Exercise 1: Playing With Effects

Now it’s your turn to try some fun special effects.

Begin by shooting a picture. Choose any subject that you wish but, while you are considering your subject, think about the special effects that you might use.

by flickr user rofanator

Select two or three special effects and try them out on your picture. Be creative! Don’t worry about the end results just yet. Play around until you get an idea of what your filters can do for you.

Put a copy of your image in the Shared Drive folder.

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M2 L6 Assignment 1: Adding Effects to Your Pictures

Using one photo, utilize three special effects. Create a Word document that includes the original picture, the picture manipulated three times, and the following explanations: explain which special effects you used, why you utilized them, and explain whether or not they were effective.

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Assignment Submission: M2 L6 Assignment 2: Putting It All Together

Now you have the skills that you need to create a picture that you can be proud of.

Use a Picture Creation Form to help you to plan or design your picture. One by one, fill in the blanks in the Picture Creation Form. Select your purpose and your target audience. Carefully decide on an appropriate subject, props and background. Carefully complete the remainder of the blanks in the form.

When you get to the blank titled “Other Considerations”, think carefully about what kind of special effects or other considerations, if any, would improve your picture and help you to meet your goal?

When you have fully designed your picture using the Picture Creation Form, then shoot the picture.

How does it look? Did you achieve your goal?

Use the Picture Critique Form to make sure that you are doing your best work.

Are there areas that need improvement? If so, then make the necessary changes and shoot the picture again. Don’t be afraid to shoot the picture again and again, improving it each time. The process of creativity is not always easy. Remember, learning about photography is a journey, not a destination.

When you think that you are happy with your final creation, create a single Word document that includes the following tasks to your Teacher:

1.  Your completed Picture Creation Form.

2.  Your completed Picture Critique Form.

3.  Your original picture.

4.  Your final picture.