City Views

[DavidM]

I have wonderful views of the City from my office window, examples can be seen at www.champnet.co.uk/sth (http://www.champnet.co.uk/sth)
These shots were taken with my Canon A10. I've yet to take in my new G6.
Can anyone offer any practical advice for taking pictures like these through glass as the windows are sealed and the roof is inaccessible.
Many thanks - David

[dbump]

David,
Welcome to the forum!

I'm unable to view the sample image (getting a timeout), so I'm not sure what you're running into, but one common problem is reflections from the room behind the camera superimposing over the landscape. If you can make the room darker than the outside, that will help (less reflected light to 'overwrite' the desired image). Getting the lens as close to the glass as possible, and keeping it close to perpendicular both reduce the area of reflection. I'd suggest making a mask out of black construction paper with a hole the size of your lens. Tape the mask to the window.
Another option is to use a polarizing filter on you G6--this may take some experimentation.

[DavidM]

Thanks for advise, you've given me options to try.

Can you try the link again, I'm running through so many proxy servers, thanks again.

[dbump]

No problem!
I just tried again--even just the root of the site--and I still get a timeout. Odd. I don't know if you're an admin on that site or not, but if you are, it looks like the peering relationship between verio.net and colt.net is introducing latency--possibly an overloaded router? I just ran a tracert, and the response time jumps over 100ms at that hop.

[DavidM]

Can anyone in the UK see it ??
dbump can we take conversation re: web server off the forum, email address : dmulligan@ "domain in url"
thanks

[dbump]

Good plan! Will do.

[g4sox]

Look fine to me in West Yorkshire. Cannot add anything to advice given about pictures through glass.

[AndreyD]

Can anyone in the UK see it ??
dbump can we take conversation re: web server off the forum, email address : dmulligan@ "domain in url"
thanks
I am in Russia, cannot see it

[Roumen]

I have wonderful views of the City from my office window, examples can be seen at www.champnet.co.uk/sth (http://www.champnet.co.uk/sth)
These shots were taken with my Canon A10. I've yet to take in my new G6.
Can anyone offer any practical advice for taking pictures like these through glass as the windows are sealed and the roof is inaccessible.
Many thanks - David
David,
Now the link is accessible. The reflections from the window are visible though.
Greetings,
Roumen

[AndreyD]

Now I can see also. but interesting, if that reflections could be removed with Photoshop?

[AndreyD]

I have wonderful views of the City from my office window, ........
Many thanks - David
Wonderful views!
You are lucky one, I have in my office only widnow like this:

[DavidM]

The smoke detector spoils the view...
I'd swop if it was 90 mins nearer to home !!
Hopefully the G6 with a to-be-bought polarizing filter will produce some stunning shots, will let you know.
Thanks to all for advice, apologies about the web site I've moved it to another server.
Rgds - David

[dbump]

You're not kidding about the view--wow!
In some of those, it looks like sunlight is illuminating the office, and adding to the reflection. I've had that problem, and my only solution was waiting for a different sun angle for the shot.

[mbubriski]

a trick i have used for taking pictures through glass, mostly at aquariums, is to use one of the cheap rubber lens hoods attached to the lens adapter pressed up against the window. this get rid of any reflective glare. http://www.ritzcamera.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10001&catalogId=10001&langId=-1&productId=13234064

[dbump]

Great tip! Most hoods should be flexible enough to allow a bit of angling also. Now I need to hit an aquarium...

[DavidM]

Finally took the new into work and took more shots from the office windows.
As suggested I used polarizing filter & lens hood.
Also tried Tele & Wide lenses.
Results can be seen at www.champnet.co.uk/sth2 (http://www.champnet.co.uk/sth2)

[dbump]

Looks great! It's been a while, but it certainly seems like you got better results than last time--what is your feeling? I only see one image (401) where there are any reflections apparent--with a 360 in bright sunlight, that's pretty good!
Edit: It's monday, so I forgot that your original series was still linked at the top of the thread. Whoops. Just reviewed, and definitely an improvement--especially with the shots that are at an angle to the window. You could probably re-shoot #401 a few hours later as a workaround, since the sun will be at a different angle (and one of the other views would be hard to capture at that time).

I envy your view and location!

[Bryan Bedell]

Wow, that is quite a view!

I have a nice view, too, but with a screen and dirty windows:
http://coudal.com/i/cpview.jpg
(from my chair, heh)

[Robert_Lay]

I only looked at one (#0116).
What are you complaining about - you're getting good shots.
A little criticism - under the circumstances, there is little excuse for not getting the horizon straight.

[dbump]

He was getting significant reflections in some shots. Even 116 has one--to the right of the left-most red crane, one building over, there is a narrow, light band from the horizon upwards.
It's much more visible in other shots later--389's are visible in the thumbnail.
It appears as if the hood and polarizer have eliminated all but the most severe of these in his second round.

Re: level horizon, I still wish cameras included a bubble level...

[rudgej]

Re: level horizon, I still wish cameras included a bubble level... You can get hot-shoe attachments such as the following from B&H Photo (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=287111&is=USA&addedTroughType=search). :)

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/images/items/287111.jpg

[DavidM]

Is everybody seeing the correct web page ??

www.champnet.co.uk/sth2/ (http://www.champnet.co.uk/sth2/)

The first image is #100 and is of the Swiss Re Building.

Images 116 & 389 are on the old page taken with the A10....

Rgds

[rudgej]

I can see image 100 - but I couldn't tell you what its proper name is though.

[dbump]

David,
Sorry for the confusion--I'm definitely seeing the new images at /sth2/ I was just clarifying for Bob what the original issue in the images at /sth/ were. Not sure if he viewed the newer ones or not.

Rudge,
I've eyed that exact add-on before, but it's pricey! I've thought about making my own. It just seems like a pretty simple thing to build into a camera. Electric hand drills 1/10 the price of a good camera have them...

[rudgej]

You're not wrong about the price. :eek: I've got one, but only because I had inherited it. I've just done a search on eBay, and can find the same thing for a buy it now price of GBP6.45.

[DavidM]

Web Site : Thanks David, bit twitchy after the last time...........

[Bryan Bedell]

How could that possibly be so expensive? you could buy a nice wooden 5-foot carpenter's level with several built-in levelling bubbles for half that price, and a plastic string level for a buck or two. Photographers are like audiophiles, nothing's ever good enough or expensive enough to make them happy. : ) Slam a bullet level across your flash shoe and save yourself $60. : )

Bb.