The window is to bright

[Analogsound]

Or the window is fine and the room is to dark. Well, what I mean is I read somewhere on how to do this but for the life of me I can't find it so I thought to ask a dumb question of the sharp folks here.

I have to shoot an interior room but in the shot is a window. The window isn't all that big and it's a northern window but it still looks out into the daylight sky. I find that bright windows tend to be just that, bright and the picture doesn't come out right. If I set the exposure to the room the window is bright, if I expose to the window, the room is darker than preferred.

Sorry for the dumb question but I just couldn't shake out the answer and thought I would intrude here. Thanks for any help and understanding. :)

[poloman]

You need to use fill flash to light the room. Watch out for reflections in the window.

[eddarr]

If your subject doesn't move you can also try blending two exposures in PS. However, this should be a last resort. It will be easier in the long run to use fill flash.

[tim]

The two options are:
- Add light to the room, or
- Blend exposures.

The first requires lights and experience (or practice), the second requires more work and probably won't look as good. Lighting interiors evenly isn't trivial.

[LBaldwin]

Well you are forgetting the easy way - get ND gels for the windows!! The old school way was to use roscoe ND gels cut to fit over the glass. Sure you can add light to the interior of the room or use PS to blend the exposures. PS is actually the best way to do it unless the image is for editorial usage. Then the ethics would probably not allow for much in the way of PS funnybiz.

JIC you were wondering the Roscoes come in precut sizes and sheets of 24" and rolls as wide as 60". The rolls are usually order basis only but any good theater supply house have the sheets. You can reuse them. tape them and save them for future shoots.

[qtfsniper]

Well you are forgetting the easy way - get ND gels for the windows!! The old school way was to use roscoe ND gels cut to fit over the glass. Sure you can add light to the interior of the room or use PS to blend the exposures. PS is actually the best way to do it unless the image is for editorial usage. Then the ethics would probably not allow for much in the way of PS funnybiz.

JIC you were wondering the Roscoes come in precut sizes and sheets of 24" and rolls as wide as 60". The rolls are usually order basis only but any good theater supply house have the sheets. You can reuse them. tape them and save them for future shoots.

how would you set them up to fit exactly over the window on a lens?

[tim]

how would you set them up to fit exactly over the window on a lens?

What does the lens have to do with it? You're basically reducing the light from the windows. Of course you're going to have to add light to the room if you do that.

[LBaldwin]

how would you set them up to fit exactly over the window on a lens?

No I think you misunderstand. You use the gels to reduce the amount of light coming through the window. They are cut to the shape of the windows or perhaps cover the entire window if possible.

You may or may not have to increase the light inside the room depending on the exposure coming through them. The idea is to balance the two as closely as possible. If the interior is too bright then you may need to use a grad ND on the camera to reduce hot spots, floors for example. So the filters and the ability to use them are a great advantage.

[menehune]

Would shooting in the morning or early evening when the sun isn't as strong be an option?

[FlyingPhotog]

Cover the windows with ND...

[egordon99]

If the room isn't too big, a simple bounce flash should be able to light up the room ok with the ambient exposure set for the window.

Otherwise, ND filter the window.

[poloman]

If the room isn't too big, a simple bounce flash should be able to light up the room ok with the ambient exposure set for the window.

Otherwise, ND filter the window.

Or both.

[PhotosGuy]

Would shooting in the morning or early evening when the sun isn't as strong be an option? The voice of reason, if you have that option. ;)

[Swaffs]

Close the curtains...

Or wait until night!

Other than that I would also use fill flash, or a reflector underneath you.

[RandyMN]

Covering windows with ND assumes the room is lit from another source of lighting. If the OP is shooting using available light from the window then ND would be kind of pointless.

IMHO it's easiest to just use flash and balance the two but I'm also assuming it's not a large room. Large rooms would require multiple flashes and now it's getting complicated again.

[egordon99]

You can always impress other non-photo folks by showing them a shot with a properly exposed subject AND a properly exposed window. "My shots always come out really dark when I do that, how did you do that?" :lol:

[egordon99]

My Dad actually stopped me once when I was trying to take a picture of my son in front of a bright window. He thought it couldn't be done.

[René Damkot]

Putting an ND filter over the window will only help if the light in the room is not just the light coming through that window obviously ;)

[mattograph]

Would shooting in the morning or early evening when the sun isn't as strong be an option?

Great advice.

I just started working on a project for a builder who requires the same thing (nice, exposed windows). My first shot, done with strobes, here:

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=551665

I cannot shoot at twilight, or daybreak, as the builder will not give me a key. But, if you can, here is some interesting info:


http://strobist.blogspot.com/2008/08/one-light-real-estate-photography.html

[Analogsound]

Thanks to everyone for responding! Wow, really appreciate that. So today I took my camera into the office and set it on the tripod. I aimed it toward the window and my drafting table. It's mid day and the window is bright but no sun shining right in as it were. So I turned the camera right at the window and in manual mode I set my exposure based of what it read in the window. I then turned it back away some towards the drafting table window partially still in the pic. Turn on the Speedlite and fired away. POOF it worked! Fill flash lightened the room and the exterior trees and chit outside look right. Wow, that was rather easy, geee now I feel pretty damn stupid for posting here LOL uggghhhh
Thanks again everyone for your time, this forum is awesome! :cool:

[poloman]

Yeah!
Glad it worked out for you. :)

[Analogsound]

Yup but like you said Poloman, watch out for them reflections. I can deal with them, just glad I got this figured out as I have to shoot a job we did this Friday and I needed this down...

[Mike McCusker]

This always works for me. Camera in manual, expose for the window, flash ettl in bounce position with white index card attached, shoot away, crimp and adjust FEC as needed.

[Mike McCusker]

OOPS! posted before I saw your results. Good job.

[qtfsniper]

What does the lens have to do with it? You're basically reducing the light from the windows. Of course you're going to have to add light to the room if you do that.

I misunderstood, I thought you were taking a small piece of a ND filter and literally putting it on the lense to reduce the light on the frame that covers only the window. I didn't think people would put a giant filter on the window.

[mattograph]

I misunderstood, I thought you were taking a small piece of a ND filter and literally putting it on the lense to reduce the light on the frame that covers only the window. I didn't think people would put a giant filter on the window.

Oh yeah. Rosco sells it in 48" by 25' rolls.

[PhotosGuy]

I didn't think people would put a giant filter on the window. Gel, not filter.Hollywood has been doing it for decades. ;)

http://www.productionadvantageonline.com/Search/N6.aspx