Shooting Images Through Glass

ArtBySheri · #1 08-05-2009, 02:41 PM

Can someone tell my how to shoot images through glass without a reflection? I'm shooting artwork that is painted directly on the back of the glass, so its a challenge to avoid some sort of reflection. Any advice would be much appreciated.

David_Buzzard · #2 08-05-2009, 03:36 PM

You need to have your light sources at 45 degrees to the glass (assuming the camera is plumb to the work). Light reflects like a pool ball hitting a bank, it will reflect away on the same angle it hits the object. If you have any light coming from behind you, that will reflect on the glass.

A polarizing filter is also a big help, and if that doesn't do it, take some black blackout cloth, then cut a hole out of the middle to poke the lens through. Hang the blackout cloth in front of the cameraso that anything that might cause a reflection is masked out.

David Buzzard

michaelnotar · #3 08-06-2009, 02:00 AM

lights at 45 degrees is right on. you need to cross polarize tho. polarizing filter on the lights with polarity running 90 degrees different than polarizer filter on camera. that will do it. i do it all the time for shooting art.

GreggVicik · #4 08-06-2009, 10:33 AM

I have not done this with digital, but with film, the cross polarizing caused too much contrast. Maybe with digital it can be controlled better. We always used lights with barn doors. We would close down the doors to only let out enough light to hit the art work. We too had them at 45 degree angles. We use a longer lens to allow us to get back far enough from the art so that no light would spill over on us. We did cover our camera stand with black cloth since it was very reflective.

Another trick we do when something is in a frame and it can not be removed is to take two separate shots of it. You turn on the light to the right of the camera. This cases the frame to place a shadow on the right side of the art work. You take that shot. You then turn that light out and turn on the light to the left side of the camera. This cases the frame to place a shadow on the left side of the art. You take that shot. You then lay one image on top of the other image in PhotoShop. You then simply erase the half of the top layer with the shadow caused by the frame. You are left with an image, shot in the frame, with no shadows.

michaelnotar · #5 08-06-2009, 04:36 PM

true cross polarization created added contrast and saturation but no client seems to mind. i pull the saturation back a lil in raw but but the contrast is good.

i also shoot artwork on MFDB and always shoot an LCC which helps with the very minor color casts caused by not having all the polarizers set up 100% perfect.

yes even with cross polarizing, i still saw the camera tripod in the glass so black it out with a cloth.