I’d originally planned to do another photography post on portraits this week, but since this is prime tourist season, I thought I’d do a post on shooting indoor photos in places with reflective surfaces (windows and mirrors).
I know this is going to sound obvious, but I’ve witness numerous people make this mistake. TURN OFF YOUR FLASH when you take pictures that include a reflective surface. If you don’t, your picture will be ruined by the bright glare of the flash bouncing off the surface.
If you’re lucky, there’ll be enough lighting, like in the above pictures, so it won’t be a problem. Otherwise, see if it’s possible to have something non-reflective (like a person) placed between your flash and the spot where the light would hit the shiny surface. This will depend on the picture, and if the reflective surface is between you and the subject, or behind the subject. For example, if you’re taking a portrait in front of a picturesque window, arrange the individual so the flash hits her and not the window.
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Note: These pictures were taken with my point & shoot camera at the Aquarium of the Bay in San Francisco.