IT CAN be handy to have a circular polarizing filter available when you’re shooting a still life – filters aren’t just for landscapes! This type of filter enables reflections to be removed or reduced from the surface of non-metallic objects, so they’re useful if you want to remove some of the glossy hotspots on a piece of fruit, for example. They can also tone down some of distracting shine on glasses, cups and plates that might be adorning your arrangement.
Using a polarizer does cost some light – around 2.5-stops at times – so you may need to compensate by increasing the exposure length. It’s worth using a tripod to avoid camera shake when shooting in low light.