Easy Ways to Waste Hours in Isolation With a Camera Part 2: Windows

When it comes to windows I am an expert. I can honestly say I’ve well exceeded my 10,000 hours of looking out of windows! I can’t help myself, to me windows are what a UV light is to a moth. They command my absolute attention. 

“I must not get distracted in class by looking out of windows”. From detentions and lines at school to choosing my next rental accommodation, windows have shaped my life more than I’d like to admit! 

These light grabbing openings shouldn’t be taken for granted either, there was a time when the English were taxed on the number of windows they had, 1696 to 1851 to be precise.

They let light in and secrets out. Windows are such an everyday feature of any home yet, they have inspired many artists, filmmakers and photographers for many years.

Using Windows in your Photography

Firstly you can choose to either use them from the inside looking out or the outside looking in. People (ask their permission first), garden birds, plants, cats or anything that falls within the window frame.

When rain, snow or ice falls on them they become a canvas themselves. Abstracts, patterns and details, from the droplets of rain that fall on your window to the frost patterns that form on the roof skylights (or car windscreens).

Reflections can always help create more intriguing and interesting compositions. Whether incorporating reflections into a portrait or using them to merge two worlds, they're are an effective way to entertain and intrigue the viewer 

Lighting, I love using windows to naturally light a scene. North facing windows, or windows facing away from the sun (west in the morning, east in the evening) offer a beautifully soft directional light which is particularly stunning for portraits.  

Curtains can be useful too, they can be used in the composition to frame your subject or can help bounce light back into the shot. Or maybe they could be the subject themselves!

It's been a crazy time here so I haven't had the chance to shoot anything specific for you guys but here's a few more window ideas that may help inspire further ideas...