A new batch of Spektrem Effects filters has arrived here in the Lake District from designer and maker Brandon Aguilar in Chicago.

I’ve been stocking them for a while, but for anyone new Spektrem Effects is a small, one-person brand, and Brandon designs and makes the filters himself in small batches. They are not polished, mass-produced optical filters made in a large factory. They are handmade creative tools designed to produce unusual flare, colour, blur and distortion directly in camera.

That means you may notice small variations or signs of the making process, but that is part of their character. These filters are made for photographers and filmmakers who enjoy experimenting and do not necessarily want every image to look clean and perfect.

Warp and 7C are now available in 77mm

The biggest change in this delivery is that the unusual Warp filter is now available with a 77mm filter thread, and also the multi-colour 7C filter. Brandon said it was a pretty big project to make larger sizes of them possible, but I think it was worth it since larger sizes are generally compatible with a wider variety of lenses since both of these filters can be used with step rings effectively.

The latest delivery also includes restocks of filters including RainbowBurst, Just Another Blur, and Magic Mirror.

As with most creative filters, the results will depend on your lens, aperture, lighting and how you position the filter. Bright lights, backlighting and wider apertures usually help bring out stronger effects, but a lot of the fun comes from simply moving the filter around and seeing what happens. I always say that there’s no “right” way to use creative filters

Rigu is the exclusive UK stockist for Spektrem Effects, so the filters are available with free standard UK delivery and without the extra import costs or delay of ordering from the US.

As they are handmade in small batches, some designs and sizes may sell out fairly quickly.