How to use a Circular Polarizing Filter (CPF)

I was looking online on how to use a Circular Polarizing Filter (CPF) and I came across this good explanation:

For the level best polarization effect, the sun should be at a right angle to your subject. That means when you’re facing your subject ideally, either your left shoulder or your right shoulder will be pointing at the sun. The polarizer will still work if the sun is at less than 90′, but to a lesser degree. It also works well when the sun is directly overhead, though it won’t have much of an effect on the sky when the sun is that high.

Sometimes the polarizer effect will be subtle, and you won’t always notice a dramatic darkening of the sky, but if you look closely you may find bright reflections being reduced and/or eliminated on leaves, rocks, etc. If you’re not seeing any effect, then you can simply remove the polarizer and gain a stop or more in shutter speed if you need it.

The nice thing about a polarizer is that you see exactly what it going to do as you rotate it while looking through the viewfinder. It’s either doing something, or it isn’t. So you don’t really have to remember to have your subject 90′ off axis to the sun though you can use that knowledge to reposition yourself and/or the subject if you want to achieve the maximum polarization effect.

Image Credit: Beverly & Pack