For christmas I got some Cokin preshaped filters in my stocking (just now getting around to them). They seem neat but I'm not really sure how or when to use them. One is shaped as a keyhole, one a heart etc. These go between the lens and the camera (for lack of tech. terms) if I"m not mistaken? Maybe these would best be used for portraits? Maybe bw? Little advice? hehe.

When I was on my honeymoon for my first marriage, part of the package was a souvenier album, and the photographer had a keyhole filter - made it look like the image was shot peeking through a keyhole, really neat effect. Have fun! :-)

Attached Link: http://www.cokin.fr/ico1-p2.html

What's the code on the filter's box ? (A, P, X-Pro, etc) Cokin's a great system, and it goes like this: You need a holder that will hold the filters. Then you need an adapter ring, for every lens diameter and you screw it on the lens....the holder slides on the ring. The A, P and X-Pro are 3 different holders, A is smallest, etc....like for medium and large format cameras you use X-Pro, for wide angles and lenses with large diameters you use P, for all the other normal (smaller) lenses you can use A. So you should get a holder and ring/rings that match your equipment, and match whatever type of filters you got (like I said either A, P or X-Pro size). Well, have a look at the link for their site :) And about the filters themselves, I guess they are spot in filters, cause I understand only the center figure is clear/transparent, right !? Well, if they are you are correct...they are for portraits, or just anything else when you want to blur everything except the middle of the picture. I guess they work best for portraits though....but I hardly ever find them usefull (but that's just depends on what you shoot :), cause I think the ones I have -with just a circle- are too strong. What I do like a lot is a diffuser filter from Cokin, cause especially when used with reflections in water it looks really nice. Err...I'm busy writing a little tutorial on filters for renderosity and I think I already made some shots with and without diffuser. Lemme see.

oh thats neat thanks for the site address. The filters are 'A'. Maybe I can use them for the Hands theme....

Hey!!! MEGA!!! I've actually just found exactly the same thing in the case with my enlarger!!! (don't ask....) As most of you know by now I've tinkered with photo's in the past (as a kid...!) but never took it seriously...well, anyways, I've never had a filter adapter for my camera so never really saw the point of these filters, and used to use them while printing to get a white vignette around the picture by throwing them in the filter tray of the enlarger...... lol Now I'm grown up and clever, I might try to use mine properly too!!! (",)

Grown up my *** ;) Btw, the cokin rings and holder(s) are very cheap...like $8 for a holder, and perhaps $6 for a ring. Filters are a bit more expensive if I'm right....around $15-ish. Not bad considering I paid $40 for my skylight filter....a screw on one. (with the emphasis on 'screw' I guess)

Yup. Screw and filter then keyhole!!!! Maygen I CAN'T imagine how you could be at a loss for what to do with a keyhole filter? You can obviously take wedding photos but also children photos. Anything where you want the viewer to feel like they are snooping. If you have a star shape. See if you can adjust the focus of the filters. You may be able to take some nice pictures of people with a blured edge without performing PS post work. Another suggestion. Double Exposure. Just a couple of ideas. Bsteph