Sometimes having everything clear and in focus is not the right picture. So what do you do if you want to give a hazy glamorous feel to your picture? Well that’s when you look into using diffusion filters. As the name suggests, diffusion filters give a diffused dreamy look to your scene. These are often used in portraits where you want your subject to have a pleasant look. Even though a diffused look can be attained digitally via software manipulation, professional photographers always prefer to shoot with diffusion filters rather than putting the effect later.

Diffusion filters also reduce contrast and give a dreamy feel to your frame. If you see the pictures on your left, you would notice that the picture taken without the diffusion filter reveals the skin texture and facial lines, which do not look very pleasant.  On the other hand the picture with the diffusion filter looks glamorous as it conceals all the wrinkles and skin defects, giving it a very pleasant appeal.

For best results it is always advised to use diffusion filters with the complete aperture open so that the subject stands out well in front of the background. Of course, there are many degrees of diffusion that you can go far, ranging from slightly foggy using the Cokin P 151, to downright blurry should you use a more intense diffusion filter. Available in various designs and makes, diffusion filters have an internal mechanism to disperse the incoming light, which is how they give a hazy feel to the frame. Diffusion filters are generally made by etching concentric circles on glass surface. These patterns are often visible in areas of low light in the frame, like the background and the foreground.