In photography and videography, a filter is a camera accessory consisting of an optical filter that can be inserted in the optical path. The filter can be a square or oblong shape mounted in a holder accessory, or, more commonly, a glass or plastic disk with a metal or plastic ring frame, which can be screwed in front of or clipped onto the lens.
Filters modify the images recorded. Sometimes they are used to make only subtle changes to images; other times the image would simply not be possible without them.