You’re out exploring nature, and during your hike, you come across a beautiful lake. You reach for your iPhone to capture the scene, but the photo doesn’t do it justice, the sunlight creates glare on the water, washing out the details and reflections. So what can you do? How do you reduce glare and capture the lake as you see it? With the right tools, you can not only manage reflections but nearly eliminate them.

Glare is that bothersome effect caused by bright sunlight during the day or artificial lights at night. It can quickly reduce the quality of your image by washing out colors, obscuring details, and lowering overall contrast, making the photo look overly bright and flat. If you photograph large bodies of water, shiny products, or reflective surfaces, you’re likely to encounter glare. Even windows can cause glare in street photography or architectural shots.

Looking closely at the images of the boat on the water, you can see how attaching the filter to the lens significantly reduces glare. The water appears darker, yet the waves are more defined. The buildings in the background also become clearer, with improved contrast. Overall, the golden hour lighting looks softer, and the natural orange hue has returned.

Investing in a quality polarizing filter can make capturing glare-free images significantly easier. These filters work by blocking reflected light, particularly from non-metallic surfaces like water, glass, and shiny objects, that would otherwise cause unwanted glare in your photos. A polarizing filter enhances color saturation, improves contrast, and reveals more detail beneath reflective surfaces, such as the bottom of a lake or objects behind a windowpane.

Most polarizing filters are circular and can be rotated. Turning the filter allows you to fine-tune the amount of glare reduction depending on the angle of the light. For best results, use the filter when shooting at a 90-degree angle to the sun, this is where polarization is most effective. Shooting directly toward or away from the sun will produce minimal impact.

The polarizer we are referring to above is the SANDMARC Drama Polarizer Filter, which acts like polarized sunglasses for your iPhone, reducing glare, deepening skies, and enhancing color for more dynamic photos. Designed specifically for mobile photographers, it improves high dynamic range by capturing richer detail in highlights and shadows, making it perfect for landscapes, water scenes, and reflective surfaces.

Built with multi-coated glass and a durable, lightweight aluminum frame, the filter ensures high image quality and scratch-free protection. It features a rotatable front element that lets you adjust glare reduction depending on light angle, especially effective when shooting at a 90-degree angle to the sun.

Attaching the Drama Filter is simple: screw it onto the included clip or use a step-up ring for case compatibility. It also mounts directly onto SANDMARC lenses.

From removing water shimmer to reducing glare on artwork, and plants, the Drama Filter helps deliver cleaner, distraction-free shots with true-to-life color and clarity.

Watch as creator Spencer Harris tests out the Drama Filter for iPhone and integrates it into his photography:

Glare doesn’t have to ruin your iPhone photography, having the right tools makes all the difference. With the SANDMARC Drama Polarizer Filter, you can take control of challenging light, cut through reflections, and reveal the true beauty of your scene, just as your eyes see it. It’s a small accessory with a powerful impact, helping you create more vivid, professional-looking photos straight from your iPhone. The Drama Filter from SANDMARC is the ultimate tool for mastering reflections in your images.