Using Flash to Control Reflections When Shooting Through Glass

A few months back, I posted a video and write up describing a handful of techniques that I employ in order to effectively shoot a space that is behind glass without distracting reflections that distract from the design beyond. This video shows a recent example of one of these images from a project we shot with Perkins + Will of an office space in Dallas. This particular space featured a soft seating area in front of a large graphic wall. To add to the difficulty of capturing the space and how it sits within the larger context, the enclosing glazing features a film with a grid pattern which proved challenging when attempting to figure out how best to show the detail of the it, the wall graphic and some models using the room.

By dividing the room into two halves when determining how to light it, we are able to recreate the practical lighting that exists within it, giving a pleasing and natural quality of light. This lighting technique in conjunction with fast shutter speeds allows us to remove the majority of reflections from the camera side of the glass, however we did encounter some harsh reflections in the left hand chair from our strobes bouncing off of the white frames in the left of the frame, leading us to have to flag off those frames using black cloth.

Once lighting was complete, all that was left to do in post was to composite the information together and do some color corrections to end up with the below result.

Using Patience and the Pen Tool to Create a Clean Interior Composite

For my latest video, I returned to an earlier screen recording (partly due to some more recent screen recordings being in the wrong format) of an image we created for IA Interior Architects in 2019. This particular example helps to illustrate how Photoshop’s Pen Tool can often be the best way to create a clean transition between the exterior and interior, particularly when it comes to a large workplace interiors with a darker interior core and perimeter of floor to ceiling windows.

Making selections in Photoshop can be an incredibly powerful mechanism for isolating specific areas, whether that be to assist with color corrections, blend exposures, or incorporate models and other portions of individual frames where the lighting might not allow for simply brushing in masks. Though I employ a large variety of methods when creating selections, the one that I’ve come to lean on the most over the past several years is the Pen Tool. The pen tool, though very tedious at first, can provide the most accuracy in a relatively short amount of time once using it is mastered and becomes second nature. One great resource for learning the ins and outs of the tool is a website called The Bézier Game, which walks you through using the pen tool to create increasingly complex shapes. After honing my skills at the tool, it’s now one of my most used and is often something I reach for when beginning to create a selection of any kind.

Anyone who photograph’s spaces, particularly commercial spaces, knows that there are certain ones with the potential for great imagery, but whose challenges jump out at you from the moment you encounter them. This image is a perfect example of that. Upon entering this space which serves as a break area for a workplace, it was immediately clear to me the potential that it had - warm would ceilings with great depth and texture, a variety of great furniture that are rich in color, unique lighting design and interesting geometry. Also very apparent the moment I entered was how each of these elements along with the wall of glazing that enclosed the space on two sides created a very challenging scenario for an image that shows the entirety of the space cleanly and with the lightness that you feel when you’re inside of it.

In order to tackle the variety of challenges within the space, we had to mentally break the space up into sections in order to cleanly light the furniture and finishes to best reduce color cast and reflections from the outer perimeter. A circular polarizer was also used to create ambient frames that cut down on that reflective glare as well, knowing that all of the above frames would be combined strategically in post-production in order to create the final result seen below.

Introducing Our New YouTube Channel!

For some time now, I’ve been sharing some timelapses of my post-production process on Instagram as a way to share a peak behind the scenes at what my process looks like after a shoot has been completed and moves into the computer. As camera technology has evolved, so too have the techniques that many of use to create the final product that the world sees. Throughout the development of my career, I have benefited greatly from other photographers willingness to share their techniques and processes, whether it be through online tutorials, informal conversations or working together in person via workshops or assisting. I am creating this channel as an outlet to give a little more insight into my own process in effort to help other photographers who may find it useful and also to allow those outside of our industry to see some of what is often a largely hidden aspect of our job, despite being crucial to creating our end product. Outlets such as online forums, in person meetups and social media platforms like Instagram have allowed architectural and interior photographers to be connected like never before and I continue to be amazed at the camaraderie we have developed across the globe that offers tons of encouragement and ways to evolve within our business. Hopefully this channel can help to add to that sense of community and openness in some small way.

For this first video, the image is of an entry vestibule of the new Whole Foods offices in Austin, Texas designed by IA Interior Architects. The space was very tight, resulting in a rare interior shot using a very wide angle in order to capture the important elements of the design that myself and the design team wanted to showcase. The scene has several challenging aspects to it that anyone who photographs commercial interiors will be very familiar with including challenging reflections, several interconnected spaces, varying light sources and of course, those pesky exit signs. As far as staging and preparation goes, the shot was fairly simple, requiring only minimal staging of the furnishings in the main break area beyond the glass doors and a chair in the phone room. Since most of the items in the lobby are relatively fixed, we just had to tweak a few things so they looked right in camera and then were off to the races to capture the space.

Since this is the first video in the series, I thought I would give a little insight on the process we use when we’re on set in order to answer some questions that I’m sure will come up. Generally speaking, when approaching a commercial interior space, the first thing we do after identifying the angle that best describes a space we are capturing is to stage any existing or temporary furniture and objects so they look best in camera. This can often be meticulous work and requires an understanding of how objects relate to one another and how people might interact with them in an image while not causing distractions or clutter. Once this is complete, we will run through a series of frames using ambient light, sometimes employing techniques to control the available light so that we can get the best result. After that is when we’ll usually bring in artificial lighting if needed to clean up unwanted color casts, better shape objects and sometimes create daylight when it’s not there. The next and last step is to bring in models when they are being used, which is a great way to give a space some life while also showing the scale and intended use. With this and subsequent videos, I hope to shed some light on how I then bring all of these pieces together to create a final image. For a little more insight on my process, visit my interview with Veeral Patel with AP Almanac.