The Red 29 Filter

I forget about certain equipment in my arsenal from time to time - this is especially true for a little red filter I have that I bought after I was told of the amazing contrast you can get with it while shooting a black and white image.  I bought it more specifically for summer time when you have a bright blue sky and a sea of cumulus clouds floating off into the distance.  Using the red filter a blue sky turns almost black, and the white clouds remain pure and white as can be.  These contrasts make for a very dramatic image and take out a bit of harshness for those bright afternoons in the summer.  I guess I shouldn't say they take out the harshness, but rather makes it more interesting to look at.  

The 4 images below I decided to try out the lens on an overcast day.  While you don't get the contrast in the sky so much - the contrast on the features below turned out just how I hoped they would.  I've posted 2 versions of each photo - the original and the converted black and white.  The red photo is the original and is how the images looks through your view finder.   

The Red 29 filter is a very cheap and fun thing to have in your camera bag.  I definitely recommend one for any photographer who is interested in shooting black and white images.