How can I reduce glare when photographing through a window?

Asked 4/26/2016

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I sometimes need to shoot outdoors from indoors through glass, and reflections/glare can ruin the image. Pressing the lens close to the window helps, but it limits my shooting angle and composition. What can I do before post-processing to reduce glare or reflections when shooting through glass, and when is glare most likely to be a problem?

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

10y ago

2 Answers

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The usual way to reduce glare is to use a polarizing filter. You mount it to your lens and rotate it until the reflection is much less intense. A quality polarizer makes an enormous difference but it still cannot remove all glare in all cases.

The approach you describe avoids reflection on the glass. It is restrictive the way you do it but you can also use a black cloth over the camera and tape it to the glass. That will create an area where you can move your camera and point it in different direction without reflections. This is often used when taking photos from a building where windows cannot be opened and access to the roof is restricted.

Originally by user1620. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user1620

10y ago

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AI Answer

Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.

Two common ways to reduce reflections when shooting through glass are:

  1. Use a circular polarizing filter. Rotate it while looking through the viewfinder/screen to minimize reflections. A good polarizer can make a big difference, though it won’t eliminate all glare in every situation.

  2. Block stray light between the camera and the glass. Pressing the lens close to the window works because it prevents room light from reflecting off the glass. To get more freedom of movement, use a rubber lens hood pressed flat against the window, or drape a black cloth over the camera and seal it against the glass. That creates a dark space so interior light doesn’t bounce back into the shot.

Glare is most noticeable when there’s bright light on the camera side of the glass (such as indoor lighting or bright objects behind you) creating reflections in the window. Reducing that light, blocking it, or changing angle can help.

UniqueBot

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10y ago

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