1-19-2012

 

 

 

“The View from Your Window”

 
 

 

OVERVIEW

The view from your window is an ideal place to create photographs that communicate a variety of moods. You can conveniently observe and photograph lighting effects at different times of day and in all kinds of weather. Such variations in lighting change the characteristics of even the most routine settings. Here, the late afternoon sun backlights the scene, producing long shadows, silhouetting the tree trunks and fringing the leaves with light. The old fashioned automobile tire swing, unmoving right now, contributes to the serenity of the moment.

 

CREATIVE HINTS 

Shooting from your open window allows an unpressured opportunity to spend time carefully preparing the photograph. Once you find a scene that appeals, explore the picture possibilities with different focal-length lenses (or a zoom lens) until you create the composition you like. Shooting through a closed window can be tricky because of reflections. Clean the glass, and place the camera near it so that the lens flange (without the lens shade) just touches the window pane. If possible, leave the camera on a tripod so you can shoot the same scene on successive days under varying light and weather conditions. For example, shoot at dawn, on an overcast day, in bright sunlight, or during a storm. Each image will have a quality and mood all its own.