Any tips on shooting through Hotel room or office glass?

[tbirke]

Hi,

I love to shoot from high elevations. Unfortunately you do not have access to a balcony or terrace in high buildings very often - and if you do, at 90% of the time you would have problems with the strong winds.

So you are confined to shoot through the 2 or 3 layer security glass of observation decks, hotelrooms and office floors.

I did it once, but the result was not good. I turned out all the lights, moved the lens front barrel directly to the glass, to avoid any reflections and shifted down a bit, to get the frame perfect.

The result: one part above the center of the image is tack sharp, the rest is getting gradually blurred by a double image. I suppose that where the light rays go through the lens horizontally you do not get reflection or double images because of the 90° angle, and the rest is a projected image caused by the different optical density of the layers of the sandwiched window pane?? (see here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/move_la...7607101776120/ )

Is there any way around it? Would shooting with longer lenses help? (I used a 300mm 8x10 for the one above), or maybe a polarizing filter? - any tips appreciated!

[BarryS]

Nice shot! I shoot like this all the time when I travel for business. A lot depends on the type and condition of the windows. I never put the lens directly against the window--that's a good way to transmit vibration to the camera. I use a rubber lens hood that forms a seal against the window, without transmitting vibrations. A polarizing filter doesn't seem to help and generally makes things look worse--sometimes revealing stress patterns in window laminates. Any large format lens is already long enough to avoid small imperfections and light dirt on the glass. I'm never afraid to ask for a different room with a better view or a (possibly) cleaner window.

[Robert Hughes]

Surround your camera with black drape to cut down on light coming from inside. But most of the light is coming from without. There's not much you can do about multiple reflection from double and triple pane glass.

I remember, as a kid, being super impressed that I could see a ghost of the sun in the window, even though the direct sun was obscured by a tree branch. I eventually figured out that what I was seeing was a double reflection in the window.

[tbirke]

Hi thanks for the replies.
So it seems as there are no killer tricks to avoid it and just hope for the best.

@Barry: do you have a photo of your rubber lens hood? What did you use to manufacture it?

[BarryS]

Thomas-- I buy my rubber lens hoods. They come in sizes to fit most lenses. Some examples at B&H.

[CG]

Try shorter lenses and polarizer; short lenses are less prone to distortion induced crappiness from window glass; polarizer will take away a bit of the reflections if oriented carefully.

[bvstaples]

I usually use a glass cutter on a compass to scribe a small hole in the glass. That way I can place the barrel...oh wait, that's my other hobby...

[Robert Hughes]

Or you could put a gorgeous naked babe in the shot, and people won't even notice the window glass.

[rguinter]

I usually use a glass cutter on a compass to scribe a small hole in the glass. That way I can place the barrel...oh wait, that's my other hobby...

I suppose your name on the register is a pseudonym also.... as they probably wouldn't want you coming back. Bob G.

[rguinter]

Pardon my joking around in the previous post. I'm hoping some others may come in with some additional hints on shooting through the glass. I too travel for business frequently and I always ask for the highest hotel floor available... mostly to be away from the street noise in downtown city areas. But the views are often to die for and would be nice to find a way to penetrate the glass since no windows tend to open any more and rooftops are off limits. Regards. Bob G.