Photography through glass (1 Viewer)

[Wickham]

Two of the recent photos in my album were taken through double glazed windows which were dirty; I didn't have time to clean or open them.

Does glass make the photos slightly grey?

Are there any camera settings to offset the effect of glass?

 

[RAH]

One tip I can think of is to get as close to the glass as possible. This will help make any dirt so out of focus you won't be able to see it. I suppose you could also use a polarizing filter to help eliminate reflections, but if you are very close to the glass, you won't get reflections anyway.

Also, you should not shoot at an angle to the glass - i.e. shoot straight thru it. This helps eliminate distortion.

 

[Wickham]

Thanks. I'll just accept that it was a dull, grey day, the background was dirty brown and the subjects were grey so I didn't stand much of a chance of getting a bright photo, especially as I was in a hurry not to miss the opportunity!

 

[compa]

I frequently shoot through a double pane window - I actually have my tripod setup there. Tricks to make it work as well as possible: clean the window - work close to the window - keep it dark in the room behind you.

It's better to not use a polarizing filter, if it can be avoided, since they cut down on available light. Working close to the window and keeping it dark in the room will do a lot to eliminate reflections. Keeping it dark also makes it harder for the birds to notice you.

 

[robski]

I agree 100% with Compa comments. I too often shot through grass for my garden shots especially this time of year when it's freezing outside to have the window open.

This technique will cut down reflections and flare ( reduced contrast of your shots). Also if the Sun is shining on the window it's angle to the glass can make a big difference. Most of my shots are south facing so I have to take care of this all the time.

Post editing the shots in Photoshop. Increasing the darkness of shadows by a few % can help reduce the flare and improve the shot.

Robert

 

[BirdGal]

I shoot 90% of my pics through a tinted double pane window. I simply go into Paint Shop Pro and "Remove Digital Noise" then tinker with the brightness on the automatic setting. Works well.

 

[normjackson]

Drink the Guinness first or the photos come out really dark B

 

[RAH]

I shoot 90% of my pics through a tinted double pane window. I simply go into Paint Shop Pro and "Remove Digital Noise" then tinker with the brightness on the automatic setting. Works well.

I suppose this is somewhat off topic, but I have found that many tools designed for removal of digital noise (e.g. the PSP tool mentioned, the PSP tool "edge preserving smooth", plus plugins like Noise Ninja) are also very handy for removing many types of non-digital noise. For example, I scan a lot of old photos for my town's historical society. Noise Ninja is great at removing scratches and other extraneous junk in such photos, as long as they are random and fairly uniform.

 

[BenBirding]

Drink the Guinness first or the photos come out really dark B

Hehe. Good one. :eat:

 

[digitalbirdy]

We all do it differently...

I usually stand about 1 metre from the glass and shoot at a slight angle. I also keep curtains drawn to about 1.5 meteres wide to darken the room. Best results are obtained when the sun is not shining towards the window.

All these ensure I get no reflections.

Others say different I know, but if I try getting close to the window, there alwasy seems to be a reflection of a camra / lens in the middle of the photo - I hate that!!

We all do it differently... Its the results that matter.

Oh and now I am into bird photography - I clean the windows far more often!!!

 

[markho]

I have read the threads of this topic with interest, as in the summer I am going to the Speyside Wildlife hide in Scotland. I hope to be able to get some pics of Pinemartin. Does anyone have experince of shooting through glass at night. Obviously its going to be dark but the site does have floodlights and last year I just used my videocamera and this dealt with the low light quite easily. Now I am going to use my D50 , how will I get decent shots without using a flash, will they show alot of grain if I use a high ISO or if I am allowed to use flash will it just bounce back off the windows and show up as one massive white blur.

 

[nigelblake]

Use a rubber lens hood and have that against the glass, this eliminates any reflection and reduces the likelyhood of flare. This is the best method if using flash.