Sometimes, the best subject or background is behind the fence. If you’re at a zoo or museum or park, this will often be the case. But it doesn’t mean you can’t get the shot.
Usually these places use chain link fences or glass walls that you can photograph through. And there’s a trick to shooting through fences. Get close. Really close. In fact, your lens should almost be touching the fence.
I made an eagle portrait at a zoo. There was a chain link fence between me and the bird. I took the lens hood off my zoom lens and placed the glass less than a quarter inch from the fence, making sure that the glass didn’t actually touch so it wouldn’t get scratched. Then I made my exposure. Because the close focusing distance of this lens was 36 inches, anything closer than that simply didn’t register. Additionally, I shot the this photo wide open at f5.6. This means that I had a very shallow depth of field. Only the area right around the bird’s head was in focus. Anything in front of, or behind the bird, just blurs. That’s why you can shoot through a chain link fence and still get the shot.
Note: This obviously won’t work as well with a shorter lens or in cases where you shoot stopped down for greater detail.
This post sponsored by Lensbaby.
I like to put my finger on the front edge of my filter. My finger stays lightly pinched between the lens (or filter) and the glass (or fence).
None of my lenses’ front elements rotate or move during focus, so it’s not an issue for me. You can easily damage a lens and/or camera if you physically prevent the front element from moving if it wants to so check before you do this.
As an side note: The pressure I put on my finder is so light that it likely wouldn’t prevent the front lens element from rotating or moving if it wanted to. It’s just a guide that keeps me from tipping my lens into a glass window or fence.
Also, a (good) polarizing filter can make a huge difference when shooting through glass.
I used this tip along Alligator Alley many years ago.
This my be one of the few times a “protective” filter may be useful. If something happens and you come in contact with the fence, it’s the filter that gets scratched and not the precious lens.
I can’t count the number of times I did this. Although never which such a good photo as a result ;-)
I did the same things when I was down in the National zoo. Only problem is if you have an over zealous employee, I say employee because I work at a Veterinary School and I know how to sweet talk vets, that stalks you and doesn’t like Photographers. This only happen once to me, but they at least didn’t say anything directly to me, they just sneered. The other problem with this is if you can’t get THAT close. Personally I don’t want to get that close to the big cat cages…..hehe
I love some of my shots taken at our zoo and wildlife center. You can’t get any closer than five feet to the eagle cage at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, but if the light is right…
http://www.flickr.com/photos/alaska48/3183218692/
It’s also not a good idea to have a fence in the background. I was shooting some family photos for a friend and there was only a 1/2 window and I just got my new camera so there wasn’t much time to think things through (luckily it was a BEAUTIFUL day!) But later we realized that the pole at the top of the chain link fence went right THROUGH the ears of two of her kids in the background…and they happened to be sitting the opposite way so they balanced nicely on the wall…and they are commonly refered to as “the fooseball kids”. (They look like fooseball players). :-P
Yeah, most of the zoo’s I’ve been to have a couple levels of fencing, so you can’t get real close to the chain link, however this technique works pretty well with any lens without a close focusing distance. If you can get close I like to leave the hood on and press the hood against the fence, that’s usually close enough to focus past the fence and it add a bit of stability.
I use this technique all the time at various zoos and especially at the National Aviary in Pittsburgh. Works like a charm. The only time it hasn’t worked was in situations where there has been a combination of a chain link fence combined with vertical bars with some spacing in between the two. They have the Andean Condors at the Aviary behind such a setup and I’m still trying to figure out a way to get a clear shot but I don’t hold much hope.
Great tip Scott.
I have shot through a 3/4 inch steel bar. It wouldn’t focus through te bar but it worked well other than that.
What is considered a “close” focusing distance?
I use a similar technique when I’m shoot baseball or softball games. I either lay on the ground or sit behind the backstop and shoot thru the chain link fence. You can get some great shots this way of the batter hitting the ball.
Great Post Scott. I followed something similar at got these shots:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pszaro/2804437234/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pszaro/2803423857/
Just came back from the zoo today and I had to use these techniques almost the entire day – shooting at high ISO, large apertures, with my lens pressed up against the glass. I also got some shots directly through chain link fences at f/2.8 and 200mm which made the chain link fence disappear completely.
Here are some samples:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/aaronbbrown/tags/zoo/
As long as you don’t have any huge reflections, you can usually post process out a lot of the lost contrast that occurs as a result of shooting through thick glass.
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