Certified Professional Photographer (CPP) Practice Exam

Which filter might be used to compensate for bluish tones on overcast days?

1. Cooling filters

2. Warming filters

3. UV filters

4. Graduated filters

The correct answer is: Warming filters

Using a warming filter can effectively compensate for bluish tones that are often present on overcast days. Overcast skies can produce a cooler color temperature, leading to images that appear overly blue or grey. A warming filter is designed to add a subtle yellow or orange hue to the light entering the lens, thereby balancing out the cooler tones and enhancing the overall warmth of the photograph. This adjustment helps achieve a more natural appearance, especially in portrait and landscape photography, making the subjects and scenes look more inviting and vivid. In contrast, cooling filters would enhance the bluish tones rather than alleviate them. UV filters primarily serve to reduce ultraviolet light and protect the lens but do not affect the color balance significantly. Graduated filters are usually employed to balance the exposure between the sky and the ground in scenes with a significant dynamic range, rather than for color correction. Therefore, a warming filter is the most appropriate choice for addressing the bluish tones on overcast days.