Stained glass windows: zoom in and zoom out
Article Excerpt:
Framing
Windows in churches are often quite large. Sometimes they are too big to fit completely into your frame. Experiment with framing to get around this.
Many people tend to hold their camera horizontally to take pictures, but you can also hold your camera vertically. Most windows will fit better in the frame when your camera is held in this position.
Sometimes including bits of the wall around window will naturally add interest to your picture by framing the window. Sometimes you may only want to include the window in your picture with none of the wall around it.
Look for details in the window that will look good in a picture. Sometimes taking a picture of an entire window doesn’t give you the best results. You can zoom into individual images in the glass and get a more interesting and detailed picture.
You can also deal with windows that are too big by taking separate pictures of different sections of the window and then combining them in an image editing software program.
Try a bunch of different framing options to see what looks best.
Distortion
When you take a picture of a window you’re usually looking up at it. That will distort the look of the window by making the top of it appear narrower than the bottom. You can avoid this by standing back from the window and using your zoom lens to get a closer picture.
~Stained Glass Window Photography from Digital Photography Advisor
Secondary role
Windows and doors are interesting main subjects. But they can also play a secondary role. Since their geometric shapes are mainly squares and rectangles, they are perfect for framing primary subjects or points of interest. I was at this antique house (over a century old), and I was composing a shot of the old, open window (the white checkered design in the sliding shutters are made of local capiz shells). Then out of the blue from the inside of the house, a photo buddy suddenly appeared and was bent on taking a shot perched on the window. I pressed the shutter. The window was now relegated to an important supporting role – nicely framing the main subject. It is with situations like this that one has to be ready, from shifting composition to changing focal points, with literally “finger on the trigger.”
They beg to be opened
Article Excerpt:
Doors and windows beg us to be opened. You are supposed to open doors and walk through them. You are supposed to open windows and let the breeze come through. Doors and windows are intriguing and fascinating.
Doors and Windows are there and they are full of patterns, textures and designs. They call us to be photographed. They come in a variety of shapes, sizes and materials. Some are huge and some are intimidating, some are small and just there. Some doors and windows are famous and some are also art forms. These and more certainly bring the fascination of capturing images of doors and windows.
Capturing an image of a door or a window might seem like an easy task. What can be so difficult about it, they are flat, so nothing to worry about ‘Depth of Field’. They do not move, so nothing to worry about ‘Shutter Speed’. But wait, doors and windows too have their challenges.
~Joaquin Duenas from his article Window and Door Photography Tips
A look at windows
For sure, each one of us has our own set of image collections in our hard drive. I have lots of them neatly tucked in their own folders – flowers, sunsets, landscapes, festivals, macro, portraits and this – windows. It seems I have this penchant for the, well, ordinary. Who would have thought this functional part of a house or building would be such interesting subjects? They can be plain rectangular holes in the side of a structure or they can be elaborate works of art in churches. It’s how you look at them, capture them and present them that they take on a compelling form. This week I share some of these images from my Windows Collection. Have a wonderful week ahead.
Frame it well
This is not about a decorative border you put on an image before you hang it on a wall. That will come later. The first business at hand is taking a shot and creating a picture worthy of that space on your illustrious wall. We go back to photography basics: the rule of thirds, keep a picture free from distractions, have a focal point, avoid backlighting, shoot lots of photos for variety, find angles and perspectives. Or follow none of the above, since rules are made to be broken anyway. But just to be on the side of generally accepted norms (remember you’re also aiming for that wall), it will do well to abide by the tried and tested yardsticks of good photography which have been there ever since. Here is a refresher titled Basic Photo Tips: Framing Your Shots by Wasim Ahmad, an assistant professor of Journalism. Go out and experiment. Discover and have fun. Happy framing!
Windows
No, not the Bill Gates invention that hangs, crashes and attracts viruses. This is the real deal. The functional part of a structure that keeps out harsh elements or lets in light and breeze. I’ve got a large image collection of these – windows. I featured this photo because earlier as I was going through various WordPress blogs, I found images of the same exact subject taken from the same place. It may not be the exact windows but its definitely from the same street at the Chinatown district in Singapore. And Lyn, author of the blog Little Yaris Photo, confirmed it.  Here are her photos of these colorful windows. Keep on clicking my friends!
Junsjazz Images & Inspiration 