Shooting objects behind glass

[KLaban]

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[Rob C]

I’m planning a project that will involve photographing objects behind glass. The glass - including all of the detritus and pattern on the glass - is as much a part of the subject and the resulting image as the objects behind it.

My concern is reflections in the glass, including the reflection of the camera which will have to be straight on to the subject. All shots will be made in the field rather than studio based. My question is how to avoid or minimise the reflections.

Conventional polar filters are pretty much useless in these circumstances, making little if any difference. Had this been a studio shoot I would have shot through a hole in a black cloth or board but this would prove difficult in the circumstances and conditions that I’ll be shooting in, although I may have to resort to this.

Any thoughts would be very much appreciated.

Keith

As far a I know, there’s supposed to be some technique that involves different sets of pola filters and lights, but this is probably impossible in the field.

I faced just the same problem the other day when I tried to copy those Auchindrain calendar pages that I had had encapsulated in plastic. The only solution I found was to shoot from the side, and not having a shift lens it meant distorting the shape of the rectangle of the page.

In your situation, do you have the option to use a shift lens? That would let you stand to the side a little bit, possibly far enough to avoid your own reflection.

Pola failed in my case, too.

Rob C

[Bart_van_der_Wolf]

In your situation, do you have the option to use a shift lens? That would let you stand to the side a little bit, possibly far enough to avoid your own reflection.

My thoughts exactly. Although the shooting angle will not be enough to use a polarization filter optimally, it will help some. If anything, it will get the camera reflection out of the equation although it will add what's to the side of the camera (that's where the pola may help).

Cheers,
Bart

[Rob C]

Keith, you can easily make one from an old Lastolite reflector; it will be light, easy to fold back into a portable size and shape, and all you need invest in (if you have the reflector) is some black rubberized paint and a lino knife.

Rob C

[BobDavid]

Shoot behind black foam core or black velvet with a hole cut out for the lens to poke through --- you'll need to rig something to drape the black velvet across. Use strobe light at 45 degrees (north, south, east, west, orientation doesn't matter so long as you stay at 45 degrees to subject) polarize both the light and the lens. Perfection guaranteed.

[graeme]

Could you use a variation on this technique?

http://photoshopnews.com/2009/03/06/how-to-remove-objects-using-two-exposures/

Graeme

[fredjeang]

problems for me too. In fact it only worked fine in mozilla browser. It's a quick time mov

[fredjeang]

QuickTime will play the sound for me but not the video.

Your absolutly right Keith  
I tried it in Mac and it just plays the sound...on windows it works only fine on mozilla.
Now I got the sound alone that I can't stop...

Edit: in fact I discovered that it worked but what happens is that it takes ages to display the video while the sound runs straight.
But I got the video file in my desktop now.

Keith, if you still can not watch it and interested, e.mail me here and I'll put you the file itself in a zip folder so you can download from my website and no hassle, you'll open it in your computer without browser issue.

[jduncan]

I’m planning a project that will involve photographing objects behind glass. The glass - including all of the detritus and pattern on the glass - is as much a part of the subject and the resulting image as the objects behind it.

My concern is reflections in the glass, including the reflection of the camera which will have to be straight on to the subject. All shots will be made in the field rather than studio based. My question is how to avoid or minimise the reflections.

Conventional polar filters are pretty much useless in these circumstances, making little if any difference. Had this been a studio shoot I would have shot through a hole in a black cloth or board but this would prove difficult in the circumstances and conditions that I’ll be shooting in, although I may have to resort to this.

Any thoughts would be very much appreciated.

Not sure I fully understand the details of the situation.  If I understand correctly I will use a black fabric to surround the camera from the lens to the relevant portion of the glass.  Like a variation of amateur place the shade of the lens directly on the glass technique. It may work.

Could you use a variation on this technique?

http://photoshopnews.com/2009/03/06/how-to-remove-objects-using-two-exposures/

Graeme

Thanks for the tip excellent. It looks to me that it may be a little complicated to use in this case. But it is a great tip.