Reducing Glare When Shooting Through Glass???

[annnewjerz]

I took a trip to the Philadelphia Zoo last week to see the animals one last time before the weather takes a turn for the worse, and also to get test out a few new shooting situations (shooting in RAW for the first time, shooting moving animals, shooting through glass/indoor lighting, etc.).

One thing that I noticed a lot of when shooting through the glass was glare and visible smudges (presumably from all of the sticky fingered children) that show up on my pictures. Some had none and some had TONS.

Anything I can do/use to lessen the prominence of these things in my pictures in the future or is this just the luck of the draw??

Here are two examples of shots through the glass.

Through the dirty glass, outside. Nice clean results.

Through the dirty glass, outside. Not so clean results.

 

[ukcatfan]

To reduce glare, use a CP filter. To reduce the smudges as much as possible, use a small DOF and try to get the glass in the out of focus area.

 

[MarkBarbieri]

To reduce glare, use a CP filter. To reduce the smudges as much as possible, use a small DOF and try to get the glass in the out of focus area.

What he said.

Also, zealots bring along a spray bottle of glass cleaner and a towel. Also, try to avoid shooting glass with the sun shining on it. If you can't try to have someone shade the glass.

One more trick is to put the camera directly on the glass or nearly on the glass and then cover the gap between the camera and the glass.

 

[My2Girls66]

I love the shot of the lioness. She looks so relaxed

 

[boBQuincy]

A rubber lens hood can help, allowing a good light seal to the glass.

 

[annnewjerz]

Also, zealots bring along a spray bottle of glass cleaner and a towel.

The day I bring a bottle of Windex and a towel to the zoo with me, is the day that I've become officially obsessed (and I don't necessarily mean in a good way )

 

[bnorm27]

Go to the Philly Zoo early. Usually the glass is cleaner at the start of the day!
After a few thousand kids roll through there, you'd have a hard time finding clean displays.

 

[zackiedawg]

All above tips are exactly right.

Also, wear a dark shirt whenever going to shoot through glass. Light colored shirts reflect back in the glass badly, but a dark colored shirt provides a nice, reflection-free spot to shoot through. Other folks around you will reflect in the glass too, but use your own dark shirt spot as a 'hole' to shoot through.

You may still have to cope with smudges - I usually just try to shoot around them - but sometimes (like the glass at the tiger exhibit in Maharaja Jungle Trek at AK) there are just so many that it becomes impossible to find a clear spot.

All of these at AK were taken through glass with no polarizer...just using my dark shirt as a shadow spot on the glass and trying to avoid the worst smudges:

This might be the thickest glass in Disney...the hippo underwater glass which looks around 3" thick:

I used the dark shirt technique, as well as the camera close to the glass, and avoiding shooting through the largest of smears or stains, and trying to avoid any sunlight glare on the glass. A little bit of patience helps too, as little kids swing under the handbar and press right up against the glass where I'm shooting with the "Look ma! A tiger!" excitement, before mom pulls the kid back under and apologizes.

 

[annnewjerz]

Go to the Philly Zoo early. Usually the glass is cleaner at the start of the day!
After a few thousand kids roll through there, you'd have a hard time finding clean displays.

Oh trust me, I know!!! We got there at opening and stayed until almost 5:00 when they close to avoid the crush of school trip-ers and did quite well. Also, at 5'8 I'm taller than most of the little rugrats that are smearing their icecream hands on the exhibits.

 

[annnewjerz]

All above tips are exactly right.

Also, wear a dark shirt whenever going to shoot through glass. Light colored shirts reflect back in the glass badly, but a dark colored shirt provides a nice, reflection-free spot to shoot through. Other folks around you will reflect in the glass too, but use your own dark shirt spot as a 'hole' to shoot through.

This might be the thickest glass in Disney...the hippo underwater glass which looks around 3" thick:

I used the dark shirt technique, as well as the camera close to the glass, and avoiding shooting through the largest of smears or stains, and trying to avoid any sunlight glare on the glass. A little bit of patience helps too, as little kids swing under the handbar and press right up against the glass where I'm shooting with the "Look ma! A tiger!" excitement, before mom pulls the kid back under and apologizes.

Great pictures, I wouldn't have known that they were even through glass...let alone 3 inches of it! I took your advice and got what I would consider to be a good "walk-around lens" (the 18-200mm VR) for our 09 Disney trip and am IN LOVE WITH IT so it seems only natural that'd I'd take this bit of advice to heart too and hopefully come out with some pics that are decent at AK.

Thanks!!
Ann

 

[Golf4food]

Any specific technique for using the CP with glass? I know the 90 degree rule with the CP for sunlight, but is there a rule for reducing glass glare (how to turn the CP for best results, etc.)?

 

[Anewman]

The day I bring a bottle of Windex and a towel to the zoo with me, is the day that I've become officially obsessed (and I don't necessarily mean in a good way )

Bottle not needed, they sell windex wipes

Any specific technique for using the CP with glass? I know the 90 degree rule with the CP for sunlight, but is there a rule for reducing glass glare (how to turn the CP for best results, etc.)?

Yes there are RULES and math, I am sure that Mark can help with that.

but it is much easier to turn the CP while looking throught the viewfinder and find a sweetspot.

 

[Golf4food]

Yes there are RULES and math, I am sure that Mark can help with that.

but it is much easier to turn the CP while looking throught the viewfinder and find a sweetspot.

There's always math somewhere... I hate math... as long as I don't need to carry a calculator in addition to the windex wipes.

 

[mickeyfan1226]

Great pictures, I wouldn't have known that they were even through glass...let alone 3 inches of it! I took your advice and got what I would consider to be a good "walk-around lens" (the 18-200mm VR) for our 09 Disney trip and am IN LOVE WITH IT so it seems only natural that'd I'd take this bit of advice to heart too and hopefully come out with some pics that are decent at AK.

Thanks!!
Ann

Ok new to this can you please tell me what a 18-200mm VR is? I have a nikon d70 and am wanting to learn how to take great pics with it.
TIA,
Michelle

 

[annnewjerz]

Ok new to this can you please tell me what a 18-200mm VR is? I have a nikon d70 and am wanting to learn how to take great pics with it.
TIA,
Michelle

The 18-200mm VR is a lens that Nikon makes. You can see it at the link below.

http://www.amazon.com/Nikon-18-200m...1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1224809552&sr=8-1

I recently purchased it as a companion to my D60 and love it. While I do agree with some that it is not sharp as a tack at either end of the range (the 18 or the 200), the in between ranges are great and even with the 18 and 200mm ends, I still find the pictures to be crisp enough for my liking.

My main goal was to buy a good lens that I could leave on my camera in the most situations and would still be happy with the outcome, so as not to have to change the lens 5 times for various settings and things that I encountered while walking around town shooting, and I have to say that I am definitely happy with the results from the 18-200mm VR that I purchased. If you would like to look at some pix, everything in my SmugMug (in my signature) was taken with my 18-200mm VR lens.

The lens is a bit pricey ($650ish new most places) but I really do think it's worth the money. If I could go back, I would have bought the D60 body only and upgraded the 18-200mm VR as my "kit" lens, since I haven't put the 18-55mm VR back on my body since I purchased my new toy

All of that being said, I do have to agree with most that while a dSLR will undoubetdly provide you with a better quality shot than a point and shoot more oftentimes than not, how "good" a photograph is really depends on the person taking it. You can pull the camera out of the box, strap on a lens and get something that looks decent, but it takes a good understanding of composition, exposure and just artistic imagination to come out with a "great picture" with your camera, no matter what make or model. I'm still using my camera probably 75% of the time on full auto mode, just because there isn't always time to adjust the settings manually and try out 10 shots until you get it right, but I am learning..slowly but surely. One thing I definitely learned was that a lot of patience, a lot of studying and A LOT of practice will do you much more good than buying a specific lens, or a specific camera body. There are professionals that can take GREAT quality pictures with a crap disposable Kodak and there are amateurs that can take CRAP with a multiple thousands of dollar camera, it is more than just pointing and shooting.

Good luck with this, whichever decision you make I'm sure you'll be happy!
Ann

 

[mickeyfan1226]

The 18-200mm VR is a lens that Nikon makes. You can see it at the link below.

http://www.amazon.com/Nikon-18-200m...1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1224809552&sr=8-1

I recently purchased it as a companion to my D60 and love it. While I do agree with some that it is not sharp as a tack at either end of the range (the 18 or the 200), the in between ranges are great and even with the 18 and 200mm ends, I still find the pictures to be crisp enough for my liking.

My main goal was to buy a good lens that I could leave on my camera in the most situations and would still be happy with the outcome, so as not to have to change the lens 5 times for various settings and things that I encountered while walking around town shooting, and I have to say that I am definitely happy with the results from the 18-200mm VR that I purchased. If you would like to look at some pix, everything in my SmugMug (in my signature) was taken with my 18-200mm VR lens.

The lens is a bit pricey ($650ish new most places) but I really do think it's worth the money. If I could go back, I would have bought the D60 body only and upgraded the 18-200mm VR as my "kit" lens, since I haven't put the 18-55mm VR back on my body since I purchased my new toy

All of that being said, I do have to agree with most that while a dSLR will undoubetdly provide you with a better quality shot than a point and shoot more oftentimes than not, how "good" a photograph is really depends on the person taking it. You can pull the camera out of the box, strap on a lens and get something that looks decent, but it takes a good understanding of composition, exposure and just artistic imagination to come out with a "great picture" with your camera, no matter what make or model. I'm still using my camera probably 75% of the time on full auto mode, just because there isn't always time to adjust the settings manually and try out 10 shots until you get it right, but I am learning..slowly but surely. One thing I definitely learned was that a lot of patience, a lot of studying and A LOT of practice will do you much more good than buying a specific lens, or a specific camera body. There are professionals that can take GREAT quality pictures with a crap disposable Kodak and there are amateurs that can take CRAP with a multiple thousands of dollar camera, it is more than just pointing and shooting.

Good luck with this, whichever decision you make I'm sure you'll be happy!
Ann

Thank you so much for the info. I went on ebay to check out the lense. I then looked at what I have and found that I have a 28-80mm and 70-300mm. I also have 2 filters (uv and cir-polarizing) anything you can tell me about these filters and what they are used for would be helpfull. I bought this camera with all of these items from a freind at work. I am hoping I got a good deal which I think I did by looking at stuff on ebay. I paid 500.00 for all of this stuff. Well anyway thank you again for the info.
michelle

 

[YesDear]

You have not fully described the two lense you got with your camera. I am assuming the 28-08 is a3.5 and the 70-300 is a 4.5. Those other numbers refer to how wide open the aperture can open at their widest point. That reflects how much light you will need to take proper exposures. You will not be able to take hand held low light pictures with either of these lenses but they will do fine in daylight or flash. neither of the lenses are considered high end glass, but will give you good use. You may want to look into a faster prime lens like a 50 1.8. It is only about $100 and well worth it.

I have had a D70 and it is a good camera. If it is in good condition you can get great use out of it.

I hope you have a uv filter for each of the lense. The uv filter is used by many to protect the lense glass from scratches. It will take out some of the ultraviolet reflection in pictures. The circular polarizer is used like a polarized lens in sunglasses to take out the reflective glare in glass or on water.

 

[mickeyfan1226]

You have not fully described the two lense you got with your camera. I am assuming the 28-08 is a3.5 and the 70-300 is a 4.5. Those other numbers refer to how wide open the aperture can open at their widest point. That reflects how much light you will need to take proper exposures. You will not be able to take hand held low light pictures with either of these lenses but they will do fine in daylight or flash. neither of the lenses are considered high end glass, but will give you good use. You may want to look into a faster prime lens like a 50 1.8. It is only about $100 and well worth it.

I have had a D70 and it is a good camera. If it is in good condition you can get great use out of it.

I hope you have a uv filter for each of the lense. The uv filter is used by many to protect the lense glass from scratches. It will take out some of the ultraviolet reflection in pictures. The circular polarizer is used like a polarized lens in sunglasses to take out the reflective glare in glass or on water.

Thank you for the info. The number on the lenses that are behind the 70-300 are 1:4-5.6G and the numbers behind the other are 1:3.3-5.6G. I do get great pics with indoor with flash and then of coarse outdoors. I am looking for a great lense to get the pics in the shows at WDW. Well I guess I go shopping for lenses.
thank you for the help
Michelle