The Location: Photographing Window Reflections from the Aztec Museum
Photographing window reflections in a window can be tricky. When we were visiting the Aztec Museum in Mexico City with our travel buddies, I noticed the reflection of us standing in line, waiting to get in. I wanted it as an action shot, with the three of us standing, waiting, and me with the camera “eye.” It isn’t artistic, but it is a lot of fun to do something like this as part of your travel story.
The Challenge: Photographing Window Reflections so they work
The first challenge was to get the shot with only our group in it. We weren’t there alone, which is the norm for a setting like this. So, I had to line up the shot and then wait until people stopped walking in front of us to take the shot.
The Accidental Photography Tip:
The key to photographing reflections is to move so the camera lens is angled toward the reflection you want. In this case I wanted a more head-on shot, accentuating the camera right in my face. That was the fun in the photo. I also had to minimize any distracting reflections. Angling the lens to the reflective surface does minimize the distractions in the reflections. So, I had to find the balance between these two issues.
I did it by moving the camera slightly to an angle, but keeping my body faced toward the window. I held the shutter button part way down to hold the focus and the exposure reading. Then I watched the reflections in the lens as I slowly angled the camera. When the distracting reflections were no longer noticeable, I stopped moving the camera and finished the shot. The result was a reflection of us standing in front of the indoor section of the museum with the excavation in the background. This shot has always been a fun memento of our trip to Mexico.
For simple tips to improve your photography on the go or on your travels with any camera or smartphone, check out my book, The Accidental Photographer for the Camera Bag.
For those of you interested in getting a more technical foundation, I recommend taking the courses at New York Institute of Photography. These are online correspondence courses with assignments reviewed by professional photographers.
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