Shooting from a car??

[NeGRit0]

Hey all! I'm about to drive from Las Vegas to San Francisco, and the weather is going to be stormy. I am hoping to get some good shots, but other than sticking my head out the window, what kind of advice can you guys offer me to help? I have a Canon EOS XTi w/kit lens...

Basically i need some pointers on shooting through glass. Sometimes my pics come out, and sometimes they dont. I am very new to DSLR's and any help would be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

 

[r.j.s]

A circular polarizer will help you shoot through glass without reflections, but if it is raining, then you'll have the water to deal with.

 

[ChrisA]

Hey all! I'm about to drive from Las Vegas to San Francisco, and the weather is going to be stormy. I am hoping to get some good shots, but other than sticking my head out the window, what kind of advice can you guys offer me to help? I have a Canon EOS XTi w/kit lens...

Stop the car and get outside. Really. How long can that take.

Do NOT shootthrough glass at least roll the window down

OK if you must shoot through the glass get as close to the glass as you can almost to the point of touching it but don't do that as vibrations will trasnfer to the camera. Shade the glass so that no light gets between it and your camera.

A pol. filter was suggsteed above but those will cut the light by 1.5 stops. That is not good and you can avoid the need for a filter be shading the glass with hands, lens hood or whatever.

Just don't expect any good result unless you stop the car and get out.

 

[NeGRit0]

Stop the car and get outside. Really. How long can that take.

Well considering its a nine hour drive straight... I just want to be able to snap a few cool pics of the rain, providing there is anything worthy of shooting.

Also, would YOU really want to stop your car, put the trip on hold, and get out in the rain with your $700+ (camera+lens) and take a picture. I doubt it.

 

[Cliff3]

Well considering its a nine hour drive straight... I just want to be able to snap a few cool pics of the rain, providing there is anything worthy of shooting.

Also, would YOU really want to stop your car, put the trip on hold, and get out in the rain with your $700+ (camera+lens) and take a picture. I doubt it.

As opposed to sharing the road in bad weather with a severely distracted driver? Yes, absolutely.

Besides, I stood out in the rain for an hour or so with my $3500 camera + lens in February for the Tour of California. For that length of time, I had to protect it (garbage bag + painters tape did the trick). For the couple of minutes you'll be outside, your stuff be fine. Bring something to dry it off afterwards.

 

[Gold89]

As said try and wind down the window briefly or if you most definitely cannot use a circular polarising filter.

And try and keep the shutter speed high, above around 1/500 for static shots although you may get some cool motion blur with slower shutter speeds.

 

[dmz]

Also, would YOU really want to stop your car, put the trip on hold, and get out in the rain with your $700+ (camera+lens) and take a picture. I doubt it

Really? Ansel Adams did just that, and produced his most famous photograph, in fact, one of the most famous pictures in photo history - Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico - was shot in just that manner, though it wasn't raining. The last recorded sale of one of his prints of that image was for $609,600 at Sotheby's New York auction in 2006.

I take it you're the passenger? I wouldn't recommend shooting while driving. If you must, open the window at least to eliminate glass reflections and filtering the light, and to avoid focussing on the glass window instead of the exterior with your auto-focus. Good Luck, but really - your best shots will be from outside the car - have your Nazi driver pull over.

Happy Shooting,

dmz

 

[Phrasikleia]

Life is usually better when you stop to smell the roses. Or to photograph them.