Taking photos through aircraft windows

cowman

cowman

Final Approach
Joined
Aug 12, 2012
Messages
5,305
Location
Danger Zone
Display Name
Display name:
Cowman
Anyone got any tips for this? We've taken a few with our iPhones and they always seem to come out blurry and dim. You can never really see the cool view we thought was photo worthy at the time.

I have a decent DSLR- a Nikon d3100. I don't think we've tried using it yet so maybe that would get better results. Wondering if there are any settings/filters/lenses that might be more ideal than the basic novice stuff we use.
 
UV/Haze filter. Your eye is much better at adapting than the camera.
 
Bring a black sweater or towel to wrap around the lense to the window, keeps you from getting light hitting the window from behind.

I've gotten some good shots from inside my bubble windows.
 
Interesting idea with the towel. Light seems to be the issue. Lots of photos I've taken turned out very well, but others have some sort of reflection or focus issue. DSLRs are best if taking pics through the prop arc...

Best if the smart phone is not too close to the window...

Up for an updated windows XP background?
 

Attachments

  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    95.9 KB · Views: 121
Last edited:
* Clean the windows, inside and out.
* Wear black / dark colors. A lens hood if you have it. Idea is to minimize reflections from inside (and if sunlight is coming in, lots of stuff will be bright and will reflect.
*Don't let the lens/hood/camera touch the glass.
*High shutter speed (to minimize vibration influence)
*Take lots of pictures with same composition. At least one will probably be both in focus and unblurred.
*Disable autofocus, or lock at infinity (some will try to get the glass in focus)
*Use as wide of an angle lens as you feel comfortable with. Zoom will exaggerate motion and vibration.
*Have someone else fly while you shoot. (Safety yes, but it's also just so much easier).

This is what worked for me.
 
Don't underestimate the power of good post-processing. How are your Photoshop skills?
 
Depends on what you're flying, condition of windows, time of day etc. High noon in a low wing is a bad combo. Another trick, with the advent of digital photography, is to take 100 pictures, you're bound to get half a dozen decent ones. For years I have used a moderately priced Nikon point-and-shoot, the latest one is an S7000 and I consistently get better pictures than my brother who has a high end Canon DSLR. The reason is I can pull the Nikon out of my pocket in AUTO mode and take a snapshot without bothering to compose or even pay attention to what is on the screen. Subsequently I take hundreds of more photos than he does so invariable catch things he misses.

014.jpg


It's also my opinion that by capturing a bit of cowl, a window frame or strut gives an aerial photo better overall perspective

DSCN5091.JPG
 
I'm in a low wing Cherokee Archer... I know it's not the ideal photo platform. Just would like to get some photos where you can see the subject.... instead of zooming way in a slightly lighter darker blur and saying "see? it's right there!".
 
Here's what I typically get with an iPhone 5.
 

Attachments

  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    1.5 MB · Views: 141
timwinters said:
Open the window!
Click to expand...

I would but the bubble windows don't hold open as far as the flat stock cessna windows.

With the black towel and clean windows you can get some good results.
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
Dslr w a polarizing filter
Click to expand...

It seems the polarizing filter helps sometimes, but causes red, green, or purple color casts at other times. Note the green in the image below. I sometimes see a substantial improvement by removing the polarizer.

15150272790_eab0586301_z_d.jpg


Having said that, I have also noted color casts as well with the polarizer off as well.

Not related to the polarizing filter, try to keep the lens parallel to the plexiglass if possible. I seem to notice better focusing that way.
 
Processed to remove haze.
 

Attachments

  • processed1.jpg
    processed1.jpg
    1.9 MB · Views: 105
cowman said:
Here's what I typically get with an iPhone 5.
Click to expand...

Much of your trouble there can be addressed with some very rudimentary processing with Photoshop. I know it's an intimidating program but by using just a few of the features such as Brightness/Contrast, Hue/Saturation and Gamma you can turn your example into a very decent picture.
 
cowman said:
I'm in a low wing Cherokee Archer... I know it's not the ideal photo platform. Just would like to get some photos where you can see the subject.... instead of zooming way in a slightly lighter darker blur and saying "see? it's right there!".
Click to expand...

Well, you do have that silly little port....

CAP uses D90, D5000 and D7100 DSLRs for airborne photography. The difference between window open and window closed is enormous. Through a closed window, there isn't much point to a nice DSLR.

Even with a flat (front seat) 182 window, there is almost always some glare. Curved windows can only be worse.
 
Last edited:
Paul Hamilton said:
Processed to remove haze.
Click to expand...

Silvaire said:
Much of your trouble there can be addressed with some very rudimentary processing with Photoshop. I know it's an intimidating program but by using just a few of the features such as Brightness/Contrast, Hue/Saturation and Gamma you can turn your example into a very decent picture.
Click to expand...


Ok, wow I didn't know you could accomplish that much. I don't have Photoshop but I have GIMP which is pretty much the free alternative. Can one of you guys give the gist of how it's done or point me to some how-to guides?
 
Silvaire said:
Much of your trouble there can be addressed with some very rudimentary processing with Photoshop. I know it's an intimidating program but by using just a few of the features such as Brightness/Contrast, Hue/Saturation and Gamma you can turn your example into a very decent picture.
Click to expand...
Often just a single click on "Auto Levels" is enough to fix most of the problems. That can even cancel out the yucky green tint in my airplane's windows. Doesn't always work, though, and sometimes you just have to play with it for a while.
 
MAKG1 said:
Well, you do have that silly little port....

CAP uses D90, D5000 and D7100 DSLRs for airborne photography. The difference between window open and window closed is enormous. Through a closed window, there isn't much point to a nice DSLR.

Even with a flat (front seat) 182 window, there is almost always some glare. Curved windows can only be worse.
Click to expand...

Diasagree. The DSLR technology helps in a number of ways- even in full auto mode. But yea, even with a brand new windshield on the Bo, shooting out the storm window delivers the best results.

Photoshop helps restore color, but I think the haze should stay- that's what I see in the sky - looks photoshopped without it :confused:
 
cowman said:
Ok, wow I didn't know you could accomplish that much. I don't have Photoshop but I have GIMP which is pretty much the free alternative. Can one of you guys give the gist of how it's done or point me to some how-to guides?
Click to expand...
I haven't worked much with Gimp, but these might be helpful:

http://dominoc925.blogspot.com/2014/12/correcting-color-cast-problems-in.html

http://www.gimp.org/tutorials/

http://www.gimp-tutorials.com/

http://10steps.sg/tutorials/20-fantastic-gimp-tutorials-beginner-to-pro/
 
Use the mode for making arial shots. It works for us...
 
cowman said:
I'm in a low wing Cherokee Archer... I know it's not the ideal photo platform. Just would like to get some photos where you can see the subject.... instead of zooming way in a slightly lighter darker blur and saying "see? it's right there!".
Click to expand...

I've done commercial aerial work from Cherokees and Mooneys by shooting through the small pilot window. A zoom in the 28-105mm on a DSLR has worked perfectly.
 

Attachments

  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    436.2 KB · Views: 70
Last edited:
Assuming I avoid reflections I've never had a problem with pictures through airplane windows.
 
Cap'n Jack said:
It can be helpful for clouds and cutting through the haze, but it sometimes makes odd color casts as I posted earlier. It helps sometimes, it hurts sometimes.
Click to expand...

You sure that was a polarizing filter?
The one that has the dial and rotates to eliminate glare from glass / water?

It should not introduce any colors. it will knock the photo down a half / full stop.
 
A lot of these are already mentioned, but if there were just a few pieces of advice I'd give someone trying to take good aerial picture, they would be

1) Never shoot through glass if you can avoid it. Take the window out. Take the door off. But don't shoot through glass
2) Use a high shutter speed.
3) Take lots and lots of photos. Memory is cheap and 1 out of 10 will be good. 1 out of 100 will be really good and 1 out of 1000 will be great.
4) Learn about and understand your filters. I'm still working on this myself.
5) include a piece of the airplane if that's what you're going for, but in general do not have a piece of the airplane in the picture. That probably means either an external camera or a high wing aircraft.
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
You sure that was a polarizing filter?
The one that has the dial and rotates to eliminate glare from glass / water?

It should not introduce any colors. it will knock the photo down a half / full stop.
Click to expand...

Yup, eliminated glare is a circular polarizing filter.

Trick is to edit in Lightroom to adjust the colors.
 
Last edited:
Cap'n Jack said:
It can be helpful for clouds and cutting through the haze, but it sometimes makes odd color casts as I posted earlier. It helps sometimes, it hurts sometimes.
Click to expand...

Yes, you'll see this when shooting through plastic/plexiglass, caused by stresses in the plastic. Interestingly the same idea is used to evaluate stress in some kinds of plastic parts.
 
chartbundle said:
Yes, you'll see this when shooting through plastic/plexiglass, caused by stresses in the plastic. Interestingly the same idea is used to evaluate stress in some kinds of plastic parts.
Click to expand...

Also used for regular glass. If the glass shows colored bands, it wasn't annealed enough and it would be run back through the lehr ( oven hot at one end and cooler at the other used for annealing glass).

I sometimes see the bands without the polarizer, especially over water and I suspect the reflection off the water ( which is polarized) goes through the plexiglass and I wonder something in the lens is acting like a polarizer. Since there are anti-feflection coatings on some of the elements, I wonder if the the light going throug gets polarized, causing the lens to act as a poor polarizing filter.

I don't always see the effect in the same plexiglass with the polarizer, I suspect the angle of he light matters too. I know polarizing filters behave badly on wide angle lens at times because they cover such a wide angle of the sky. For one example, see: http://www.digitalphotomentor.com/w...lar-polarizing-filters-wide-angle-lenses-sun/

Another place the polarizing filter is useful is to cut reflections. Reflected light is polarized, and rotating the polarizing filter can be used to eliminate reflections.
 
You should try the Spot metering setting. It is best when taking a bright image from a darker setting. So dark inside the plane and light outside. It works very well for me.
 
Reflections from interior are always a challenge, especially at night. These were shot through a canopy at dawn a week ago with my "hangar camera" - Panasonic FZ5 with the exposure dial on the auto point and shoot setting. I've got several newer and fancier FZ's but the 5 is smaller and easier to handle in my small cockpit. Even though old it does far better than any of the phone cameras I would imagine. Good Zeiss lens with stabilization. I don't have a storm window but if I did I would use it.
 

Attachments

  • Dawn1.jpg
    Dawn1.jpg
    196 KB · Views: 13
  • Dawn2.jpg
    Dawn2.jpg
    190.2 KB · Views: 12
You can get OK photos thru the windows with a good DSLR camera on Shutter priority at a high shutter speed between 250 and 1000 depending on your lighting, for professional quality photos you would need a full sensor DSLR or a medium format film camera like a Pentax 6X7, set focus on infinity, use a platform like a Cessna 210 with no struts and open the window, attached is a photos taken of Mt Shasta with a Nikon D40 with a simple DX lens, I did use a flash to light up the panel and was sure to angle it away from the window to avoid reflection, I also exposed the scene for the outside light, settings were 100asa, 200 shutter speed, F20
 

Attachments

  • Ashland flight Jan 2009 059 cropped.jpg
    Ashland flight Jan 2009 059 cropped.jpg
    2.1 MB · Views: 22
Last edited:
N3318Q said:
You can get OK photos thru the windows with a good DSLR camera on Shutter priority at a high shutter speed between 250 and 1000 depending on your lighting, for professional quality photos you would need a full sensor DSLR or a medium format film camera like a Pentax 6X7, set focus on infinity, use a platform like a Cessna 210 with no struts and open the window, attached is a photos taken of Mt Shasta with a Nikon D200 with a simple DX lens
Click to expand...
The modern crop-frame sensors, such as the Canon 7DII, give excellent results as well. They have high resolution, good dynamic range, and even good noise characteristics at high ISO.

Edit: some of the mirror less cameras can give good images too, though most of them are also crop sensors. My only dislike for mirror less cameras is there is no protection from dust when changing lenses.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top