How Can I Photograph Bathrooms With Mirrors?

Hey shooters. I am taking a crack at photographing a client's house which has been going ok until I started to set up lighting and camera to shoot the bathrooms. I don't know how to get good images dealing with the reflections in the mirrors. How do the pros handle this challenge? Strobe or no flash recommended? So far, I just see myself in the mirror holding the camera. Also the glass shower windows has got me scratching my head on what to do about that. I know it can be done, I read Architectural Digest, but there has to be a workaround. Is it all done in Photoshop to mask it out? Please help, as I have to start this Wed and she is expecting a solution. Thanks to everyone for your expertise. katt

I'm no expert but recently I was taking a few pictures around my own place, and yup.. there are mirrors and computer monitors that reflect flash light back at the source. I dealt with them by using a bare flash (white card and Stofen Omnibounce throw light forward which reflects off the surfaces) pointed 90 degrees straight up at the ceiling so it makes it look as the light is coming from above, as is expected in houses. The ceiling is white, which is to my advantage. Managed to get the results I wanted. I stayed out of the reflections of the mirrors.

Fast wide lens, like the Tamron 17-35 does the job at f/2.8 (adjust ISO if needed).

Add a few light spots (out of frame, of course) if needed.

P.

Tripod and a long exposure to preserve the original lighting in the room.

Tilt shift lense so you can set the camera up to the side without any perspective distortion. You see this in most interior decorating magazines where the mirror looks like it has been shot head on, but the reflection shows stuff off to the side.

Ditto what Rich said...

You can use a flash/strobe, just use the ceiling or a wall too bounce the light off of and make sure that you don't have the light too close to a reflective surface (ie mirror or glass). I take mirror shots when doing weddings, and I just bounce the light off of the ceiling to get a more balanced lighting look, and I've never had a problem.

If you're going to use a time delay and use the regular tungsten lighting in the bathroom, you'll need to use a filter so that the images don't turn yellow/brown from the lighting. Just something to keep in mind.

If digital, it is probably better to do a custom WB at the very start of the shooting. Watch out for light change, though. Light bulbs do have a different color cast depending on brand, age, voltage variation. If fluorescent, you should keep a lower shutter speed to capture over 1 cycle (below 1/50 sec).

Wow! Guys, thanks so much for your advice and input. Looks like bathrooms are tough to do for almost everyone who faces the challenge. Also with the 1.6 crop factor on my 10D, I am looking at a super wide angle zoom that starts with a 15-17mm-40, etc. looking at Sigmas, anyone using Sigma ultra wide zooms for interiors? Thanks katt

For the 10D, a 17-40 (for example) would be considered just 'wide', not ULTRA wide. It roughly converts to 28-64mm, which in classical 35mm photography is considered just wide. Still, it may be enough for your needs.

Anything below that, say a 10-22 (for example, I know you can't use the EF-S version), would convert to 16-35mm. 16mm equivalent would be considered ultrawide.

I did the interior shoot with an ultrawide, 17-40 on a 5D. No crop factor so I get a true 17mm at the wide end and boy did I need it.

Maybe try a Sigma 10-22, it would give you a similar FOV and it mounts on a 10D. All the best with your shoot!

I prefer this - but many houses still end up dark / unnatural when shot with a tripod for a long exposure.

I have had limited success with an upward facing flash - it tends to not light up the room evenly and ends up even more unnatural

Guys, we just ordered the Sigma 10-20mm zoom for the Canon 10D. I'm also upgrading to the Canon 30D and possibly 5D, so the lens should work ok with the new cameras as well. I read a lot of recommendations on this lens in the lens forum on the board here and most shooters seemed real pleased with it's sharpness and quality. With the 1.6 crop factor, my 24-200mm just ain't cuttin' it. Hopefully the 10mm will be able to get more real estate in the frame without a lot of distortion. I'll keep you posted. katt

I used to have to photograph bath vignettes for a home center to be used in setting up new stores. We had this spray stuff that you sprayed on the mirror that dulled the surface so you didn't get reflections. It was a pain to have to clean all the mirrors when we were done, but it did make it easier to photograph. They were taken in-store with all those fluorescent lights and merchandise across the aisle so it was really crappy shooting conditions.

If you think about the 5D in the future, the Siggy 12-24 is the ONLY lens in this range
compatible with FF at 12mm....