Certified Professional Photographer (CPP) Practice Exam

What type of filter affects only light vibrating at certain angles?

1. Graduated filter

2. Polarizing filter

3. Infrared filter

4. Laminated filter

The correct answer is: Polarizing filter

The polarizing filter selectively affects only light waves that vibrate in certain planes. This characteristic allows the filter to reduce reflections, enhance contrast, and improve color saturation in photography. When using a polarizing filter, photographers can control the amount of polarized light entering the lens, which is particularly useful when shooting in environments with a lot of reflections or to deepen the blue of the sky. In contrast, graduated filters modify the overall exposure or color gradient across the frame instead of selectively filtering light based on polarization. Infrared filters are designed to block visible light and allow infrared light to pass through, but they do not filter based on the vibration angle of light. Laminated filters typically refer to protective layers and do not function in the same way as polarizing or graduated filters concerning light behavior.