Getting close to eliminate reflections

    There are times when you want a reflection in you picture for artistic purposes, but there are more than a few times when it's a pain in the tuchus.

    This usually happens when what you're photographing is behind glass, such as in a display case, you're looking out a window or standing on top of the Space Needle in Seattle, where even on the outdoor deck you're behind glass.

    Some ways to get rid of the reflection, if it's ruining your composition, include changing your angle so the reflection isn't going straight into your camera lens (angle of incidence = angle of reflection) or using a polarizing filter.

    The only drawbacks with those methods is you might be limited in moving to the sides, and the light may be at the wrong angle for a polarizer, which works best when the light's coming from a right angle.

    While reflections can be eliminated in post (I had to do that with a picture I took of a stained glass window in a museum), that can be extra work you wouldn't need to do if you can eliminate the reflection before you trip the shutter.

    But Jefferson Graham, a writer/photographer/Youtuber, suggests getting right up against the glass.

    It's not a bad strategy, as you are blocking the light causing the reflection from your lens.

    (Do not try this tip with a museum display case. You may either knock over the display or set off an alarm.)

    The only thing I take issue with him on this matter is his suggestion that this option only works with phone cameras, as they typically have a flat lens. A DSLR, he argues, has a curved lens and can't be put in such contact.

    To which I call shenanigans.

    First, most of us use UV or skylight filters on the front of our lenses to protect them from damage, so we do have a "flat" surface to put against the glass.

    Second, a lens hood also provides the shading that can keep the stray light from messing up your photo. It works especially well if you have a collapsible rubber hood. Just make sure the hood is right for your focal length or you'll get vignetting.

    Another option to have a friend hold a jacket up behind you to block anything behind you from being reflected in the window. Just make sure they hold it in front of them, so you don't get their reflection in the window instead.

Make your own variable neutral-density filter

    We've all seen the long-exposure shots of waterfalls where the water's silky smooth, or the clouds just streak across the sky.

    The technique can also help eliminate crowds from pictures, especially if they move fast enough.

    The problem is, if you try to do them in daylight, you can't stop down far enough to get the really smooth effect. Even if you set your ISO as low as the camera permits and use the smallest aperture, you might be able to get a second, at most.

    One way to reduce the amount of light coming in is to use a variable neutral-density filter, which allows you to dial in the amount of light-blocking you need to lengthen out the exposure.

    But if you can't find one, or afford one, there are a couple alternatives. This time we'll talk about using a pair of polarizing filters to do the job.

    As you know, a polarizer works by blocking light coming from particular angles. Normally, photographers use the filters to darken the sky, increase contrast or eliminate reflections.

    But if you put two of them together, you wind up blocking most of the light coming into the camera. Try looking through a polarizing filter while wearing polarized sunglasses, and you'll see the effect.

    To do this with a camera, you need two polarizing filters screwed together and then placed in front of the lens. By turning one of them, you can darken the image to the point where you can get a long exposure.

    Here's a photo taken without the filter in place. It's about 1/25 of a second.

 

    You can see the water in the pond doesn't look smooth, and the water cascading down the rocks has some detail in it.

    Here's the same shot at 81 seconds.

    Now, we have the smooth water and the streams almost look like a mist. The only drawback to this method is the blue cast from the filters. But I was able to fix that by increasing the color temperature.

    You'll need to lock the focus in before you darken the filters, and it may take some guestimating on the exact exposure, but the effect works.

    Next time, I'll show you a way to do it without a filter, even in broad daylight.