Certified Professional Photographer (CPP) Practice Exam

A #8 yellow filter has what effect on black and white film colors?

1. It renders them unnatural.

2. It shifts colors to warmer tones.

3. It maintains natural-looking tones.

4. It creates a sepia effect.

The correct answer is: It maintains natural-looking tones.

A #8 yellow filter is commonly used in black and white photography to enhance contrast and influence tonal rendition without dramatically altering the natural colors captured by the film. This particular filter allows yellow wavelengths of light to pass through while blocking certain other wavelengths, effectively influencing how different colors are perceived in grayscale. When applied to black and white film, a yellow filter can help in rendering different colors more distinctly, particularly by deepening the tones of the blue sky or lightening green foliage. However, it does so while maintaining the overall natural appearance of the colors in the scene. This is why the correct answer highlights that a #8 yellow filter maintains natural-looking tones, as it enhances detail and contrast rather than distorting the image's true color representation.