How PolarPro's Burkard Polarizer Transforms Automotive Photography
As photographers, we live in the land of financial agony. We will spend thousands of dollars on equipment, and some products you come to find out you really didn't even need, or even use anymore. Depending on the type of photography being done, there's no telling what might be inside someone's camera bag. We all have our secret weapons, but as a automotive photographer, I constantly find myself in a sea of reflections. Every body panel, chrome trim, and windshield is a mirror waiting to distort your composition. There isn't some magic trick to erase them completely, but what if I told you that re-shaping them, is what separates a quick snapshot from a portfolio-worthy image? That's where PolarPro's "Burkard" CPL filter earns its keep.
The Dance of Light and Metal
Cars aren't just painted objects that move; they're engineered reflections of the world around them. While you may think a sunny day would be perfect to light up your subject, the glossy panels will soon turn into a funhouse mirror of sky, trees, and clouds. Shooting a black vehicle? Those reflections double down, making it almost impossible to define the curvature of the design and flattening your tones. Shooting silver? Everything becomes glare. Again, the goal isn't to remove reflections altogether-it's to decide which ones stay and which ones go. That's why the right CPL filter is a crucial tool more than it is an accessory.
Built for Real-World Shooting
Named after adventure photographer Chris Burkard, this filter in PolarPro's lineup is designed to handle dynamic, high-contrast environments-exactly what you face on tarmac or in open-sun parking lots. The Burkard has a middle seat when it comes to PolarPro's density range, allowing roughly two stops of light, curating a sweet spot between subtle control and visible reflection management. Many cheaper CPL filters will introduce a green or magenta cast that destroys the warmth of a sunset or the metallic character of paint. The Burkard stays remarkably color-neutral, preserving OEM paint hues and the fragile contrast between highlights and midtones. The Burkard filter is also machined from aircraft-grade aluminum with a low-profile frame-allowing you to stack another filter without worrying about clipping corners in-camera. PolarPro's signature grip ring makes micro-adjustments easy even with cold or greasy hands. To top things off, the Burkard filter also comes equipped with metal filter caps, steering you away from those untrustworthy plastic lens caps.
Shooting Cars with the Burkard
When shooting automotive exteriors, I tend to treat my polarizer like an exposure dial for reflections. You'll notice that capturing details like steering wheels and seat belts become effortless, without killing the windshield's contour reflections. The Burkard makes specular hotspots surrender without dulling metallic flakes. The results have been unmatched to any other piece of equipment in my camera bag. For people that love to stack filters, you can combine the Burkard with a variable ND when shooting rolling shots. With this interesting combo, you can maintain a 1/125 sec shutter for wheel blur while dominating glare, all without sacrificing range. Aside from the mechanical power that the Burkard filter holds, PolarPro's promise has also held true in the areas of tactile control and optical consistency. The Rugged metal build protects from drops and mishaps, all while providing a hydrophobic coating which means I can wipe off dust or rain without smearing.
Why PolarPro?
Polarizers are one of those "grown-up" accessories that silently separates hobbyists from professionals and when you want to grow up, you choose PolarPro. The Burkard Polarizer isn't just about glare reduction-it's about intentional light control. If You're an automotive photographer that loves to show off a car's true design without digital trickery-the PolarPro Burkard deserves permanent residency in your kit.
