Taking photos through windows

Sometimes you don't really have a choice -- either take the suboptimal shot through a window (whether it be from a car, plane, or tall office building) or don't get a shot at all. Most people will at least try to get the shot through a window and maybe with some luck it'll turn out well. You typically want to have nothing between the lens and your subject -- extra glass means more possible reflections. That said, there are some things you can do to increase your chances of getting a decent shot.

Quoting from "Through a glass lightly":

1: Some of the best city views are from the windows of tall buildings or tourist attractions. Trouble is most people end up with photos of the window and not the view, so the first trick is to position your camera right against the window itself; the outer lens barrel should protect the actual optics from any scratches.

2: Reflections from interior lighting can ruin photos taken through windows, so even when holding your camera close to the glass, try and shield any gaps between the lens barrel and the window itself with your hands or a piece of clothing. By moving the camera you should be able to see any reflections.

3: Your built-in flash is no good to you in this situation, and if it goes off, it’ll just cause more reflections to worry about. So when taking photos through windows, always turn the flash off.

4: Photographing through a sheet of glass or plastic can fool many cameras’ focusing systems. So if your camera is struggling to autofocus simply manually set the focus to infinity – this is indicated on most compact cameras by a figure 8 on its side.

5: Ultimately the best quality photos are when there’s nothing between you and the view. So before following the tips above, see if there’s an outdoor viewing area or some way to open a window and poke your lens out. Obviously this won’t be possible in some places, such as the London Eye, but it’s worth checking for others.

Using tip #1 in the list above (keeping the lens held flat against the window), here's a shot I took through a window of our hotel room in San Diego:

18mm, F/16, ISO 100

It's nothing groundbreaking, but I think it looks pretty good for being taken through a reasonably thick window.