Can’t you see it? It’s right in front of you!
In the search for awesome photos, I find myself spending money to get to places to shoot. Upon reflection I realize I don’t always spend the extra money on a room with a view. This could be an extra shooting location that I’ve been missing.
Sensor: Canon 6D
Location: Shinjuku, Japan – Mt. Fuji
In this last trip to Asia, I didn’t have to spend any extra money for views. In the cases that my room had them, it was by accident. In other cases I was able to witness great views because my colleagues had better booked better rooms. Some of these views were good enough in fact that I found myself struggling to get better photos elsewhere in the city or town. Taking photos in the comfort of your hotel room seems so easy.
But when can you have your cake and eat it too? Never.
Okay this is where I admit it.
The photos here were shot through the window – and not an open one. But it’s not like it’s “voice dubbing a live concert” bad is it? And even Beyonce got away with that one in front of the President of the United States.
Although the views were good, they weren’t the ideal shooting locations.
Tall skyscraper buildings rarely have windows that one can just prop open, and don’t always allow guests to have roof top access. (Although I should start asking more about this) Of course I’d prefer not to have to shoot through an extra sheet of glass, especially one that is not optical quality. In fact I seriously think a few times before doing it. But I felt it was better to have the shot than none at all.
Sensor: Canon 6D
Location: Macau
I made sure that there was a section of glass that was clean enough to shoot through. These two photos had the added benefit of being shot at dusk or at night. Much of the photo was dark with bright lights to obliterate dirt and smudges. The dusk one with more light was shot through a long lens that also hides smudges well.
I’ll try and hold up the lens directly against the glass with all clear filters removed in a dark room. This minimizes potential reflections that you may not notice in the view finder. Holding directly against the glass is not always possible especially with a long lens. It’s too heavy to keep still with your hands for the long exposure, and more importantly it’s harder to get the composition needed.
Am I being to paranoid about shooting through window pane? I’ll let you be the judge to determine whether I was able to get away with it.
