Dave volunteered to lead the discussion which initially focussed on the seemingly never ending argument over whether one should use filters or merely correct the work later in processing.
Although it was generally accepted that Photoshop and its clones are useful tools and certainly have a place in the photographers armoury, it was the consensus that it is always more satisfying to get the photograph right at the shooting stage rather than back home on a computer screen.
We then went on to talk in detail about the various effects and enhancements available to the photographer by the use of filters, from slowing down the shutter speed with ND filters and controlling reflections or enhancing the sky by the correct use of polarising filters.
Dave then lead the group through the use of ND Grad filters to balance exposure in a number of situations, including land and cityscapes, including the advantages and pitfalls of stacking a number of filters on your camera.
This all lead on to other uses of other filters including the more subtle types such as UV and Skylight Filters which, in additions to potentially reducing glare, are essential for protecting the expensive and vulnerable glass at the business end of the lens.
As usual, everyone participated in full, either giving advice and guidance when able or listening and learning new skills and techniques to take away experiment.