Certified Professional Photographer (CPP) Practice Exam

What happens if you directly face a shiny surface with a polarizing filter?

1. It maximizes contrast

2. It enhances saturation

3. It has no effect

4. It creates unwanted reflections

The correct answer is: It has no effect

A polarizing filter is designed to reduce reflections and glare from shiny surfaces, such as water or glass. When you directly face a shiny surface with a polarizing filter, the effect can vary depending on the angle of light and how the filter is oriented. However, under certain conditions, it may have minimal or no effect at all. This is generally because the filter is not positioned at the optimal angle to disrupt the light rays reflecting off the shiny surface. A polarizing filter works by allowing only certain light waves to enter the camera, typically those that are not polarized. When facing a shiny surface directly, the filter may not be able to effectively reduce the glare or reflections because the light is coming from the same direction as the camera. Maximizing contrast or enhancing saturation typically requires a more favorable angle to the light source, and thus these outcomes would not occur when the subject is approached head-on. In summary, when directly facing a shiny surface, a polarizing filter can indeed have little to no impact, supporting the idea that it creates "no effect" in those specific circumstances.