Trick of the Eye - Camera Prism Filter

Dogwood in Bloom - Prism filter effect

Way back in the early 1970's when my wife-to-be and I were dating, my brother-in-law-to-be Marc was in the Navy. He was into cameras and photography, and as as a kind gesture to the new guy hanging around his sister, he offered to buy me my own camera and accessories during his next deployment. One of the many filters he brought me was a prism filter. The prism filter gives an effect popular in the 60's and

Pink Floyd - Piper at the Gates of Dawn

70's, as seen in this Pink Floyd album cover from that period. Personally, I like the effect when used in a suburban nature setting. The dogwood tree we planted a few years back in our backyard cottage garden has put on more blooms this year, than all the previous ones together. The prism filter gave the effect here of a dense memorial spray, but a plein air spray.

Prism filter

The prism filter is much easier to play with in the age of digital cameras - it was way too expensive to play with when using film that needed to be developed. Now, I can play with it and dump the results that don't turn out. A problem I have had with using my prism filter with my digital camera is that as the automatic focus turns, the adjustment ring on the filter turns as well. It is still a bit of hit-and-miss as I take shots with the filter. In the mean time, maybe it would be helpful to listen to a little 1960's Pink Floyd music while figuring out what to do with this retro accessory.