PolarPro Shortstache Everyday Filter
I still have very mixed feelings on this filter. I love it in some cases, and dislike it in others.
I don’t like the idea that the name is Everyday filter, when I find myself wanting to take it off.
In my opinion I think this filter was boosted a little more than it should have been by ‘influencers’ and photographers.
Big purchases (anything over $50 to me is a big purchase) I like to really review a lot before deciding on if I should. I have wanted a new CPL filter for a while and have seen a lot on Black Mist filters and have wanted to give them a try so when I seen PolarPro had both built into the same filter I was already sold on the idea before researching. When finally researching everything I seen was so good! Big YouTubers and small YouTubers both had really good opinions on the filter with amazing example photos.
Another thing I do is I will google image search samples over and over to get the best idea I can of how something will look.
I don’t feel like my filter is giving the same look as the examples I have seen. It seems in most cases I am taking away quality from my photos more than adding a nice soft effect. I have had some images be to much and seem fuzzy, and have had to remove the filter. Again back to the name, Everyday; I don’t feel I should be in situations I have to remove it.
It is a 1/4 Black Mist filter, I would like to try a 1/8 version over the 1/4. A slightly less harsh ‘‘bloom?’’ I think that is the correct word to use anyways I think a little less would be more of an Everyday.
A good example of a little less. Direct sunlight looks so beautiful but is too much. It’s like you have smudges on your lens but only in the light. If it was a little softer it would be so perfect.
Same area as the photo above, just facing away from the sun. Exposure on this had to be cranked to .45 and shadows pulled high. it will darken images which is fine but finding a balance with it has not been easy. Also no haze or anything was added in this image and my daughters skin appears very smoothed over. It does take some quality away from the image and darken some.
Very good example of needing perfect conditions for this filter to be what is advertised. It is definitely not an Everyday filter. You have to be either very early morning, late day, cloudy, to get what I feel is the full potential of this filter.
Lowlight is amazing. You will have to over expose though to make up for the slight added darkness of the filter.
I just won’t be using it much in direct light during really sunny times. Lower light is really where this filter shines. To much light or being to bright takes away so much from my experience so far.
I am still just stuck on not really being able to recommend it. I don’t want to have to pack an extra CPL with me incase conditions aren’t perfect for the PolarPro but seems to not be an option for now. I will be looking forward to hopefully a future 1/8 version. I will continue to use PolarPro only because their company is so well managed.
