shooting people in windows

[steev'sHVX]

first its great to be back,
Now editing with cs6 and still shooting on hvx200/5dmk2.
I want to compose two shots of a person looking out a closed window.
1. outside looking in. (this will be a fast zoom shot. Tarantino style)
2.behind shoulder inside looking out.

any tips/opinions on reducing window reflection? lighting techniques?

recent thread posts and/or tutorials are appreciated.

Thanks

sincerely, steve

 

[Spartacus]

Man, this threat title for sure will be scanned by a gov-bot.

Got no lighting techniques, besides "move the light until you don`t see it anymore", but I guarantee you a polarizer will come in handy when shooting windows...

 

[David W. Richardson]

Man, this threat title for sure will be scanned by a gov-bot.

Got no lighting techniques, besides "move the light until you don`t see it anymore", but I guarantee you a polarizer will come in handy when shooting windows...

Keep in mind that a polarizer is MOST effective when the light source is at some point along an arc that is at a 90 degree angle to a line that runs from camera to subject. The further it moves from this angle, the less effect it has.

 

[Copterra]

Polarizers help a bit, as well making sure your lights are not at an angle which causes it to reflect towards your lens. What this means depends on your setup and needs. Keep in mind that if you want a clean shot of both the inside and the outside, you'll need the exposure to be similar between them. This means a lot of light inside during the day, correcting to match daylight (or whatever it is outside). The color has to be super close for this to work right. Same from the outside. Most windows have highly reflective coatings on the outside, so you may need to wait until the sun is on the opposite side of the house to make sure the window is in the shade. Again, how this works depends on your needs.

I'm not going to go into detail, as it really wouldn't mean anything. Just start shooting tests and see what happens. You'll want to perfect this in testing before you do anything with footage that matters.

 

[steev'sHVX]

reply with test shots

reply with test shots

Man, this threat title for sure will be scanned by a gov-bot.

Got no lighting techniques, besides "move the light until you don`t see it anymore", but I guarantee you a polarizer will come in handy when shooting windows...

Keep in mind that a polarizer is MOST effective when the light source is at some point along an arc that is at a 90 degree angle to a line that runs from camera to subject. The further it moves from this angle, the less effect it has.

Polarizers help a bit, as well making sure your lights are not at an angle which causes it to reflect towards your lens. What this means depends on your setup and needs. Keep in mind that if you want a clean shot of both the inside and the outside, you'll need the exposure to be similar between them. This means a lot of light inside during the day, correcting to match daylight (or whatever it is outside). The color has to be super close for this to work right. Same from the outside. Most windows have highly reflective coatings on the outside, so you may need to wait until the sun is on the opposite side of the house to make sure the window is in the shade. Again, how this works depends on your needs. I'm not going to go into detail, as it really wouldn't mean anything. Just start shooting tests and see what happens. You'll want to perfect this in testing before you do anything with footage that matters.

thank you for the replies. I shot some tests, waited until sundown to achieve 90degree sunlight for better use of my polarizer.(100% difference)

i see that i am having some low light issues with my indoor shot, although I did leave my polarizer on. I'm thinking about eliminating the zoom and switching to my 5dmk2 for its low light capabilities. or mixing the footage.
i also played with some shadows and sharpness on the edited clips.

test shot link https://vimeo.com/98398139
password: dvxuser

thanks for the help!

 

[David W. Richardson]

It's not necessary to wait until sundown for the maximum polarizer effect.

Stand at your camera, facing your subject. Point your arms straight out towards the horizon in both directions, index finger pointing. Now bring your arms up to where both are pointing straight up over your head. If at any time your fingers pointed to your light source (the sun, for instance), then the polarizer will have its optimum effect. The further your light source is away from where your fingers pointed, the less effect the polarizer will have.

 

[DYORD]

How big is the window? You might want to get a black net and stick it outside the window if doable. This would drop down the exposure value of the exterior (like a ND filter but in a bigger scale). If you are in a high-rise apartment, you can stick it inside the window as long as you hide the edge (like inside a curtain or something). Then, expose your camera inside the room. You might still have to add fill light but not as much.