Intro
Exposure Issues
Plexiglas Issues
Getting Close-ups
Avoid Stressing the Birds
Camera Buying Advice

Problems shooting through Plexiglas

There are a few problems you will encounter when trying to shoot through Plexiglas.

First, Plexiglas tends to produce glare or reflections that can corrupt your photograph. Making sure there is less light outside the aviary than inside the aviary will help reduce this effect, but will probably make your lighting conditions worse. If your camera has a threaded lens, you may be able to buy a compatible polarizing filter. Polarizing filters reduce reflections in such surfaces as glass and water. However, they also filter out some of the light; again, making any existing problems with underexposure even worse. For this reason, I do not use my polarizing filter when photographing my birds.

To deal with reflections and glare, when possible, I do the following:

• Turn off any unnecessary lights that reflect strongly in the area I am shooting, pull curtains far enough to dim the reflection in the area where I am shooting.
• Turn off my flash if I don't absolutely need it.
• Choose to shoot in a location with little-to-no glare.
• Open the door and shoot through the open doorway or stick my head inside and shoot from within the aviary.

Second, shooting through Plexiglas can affect the quality of the images. To reduce the effect as much as possible, I keep the Plexiglas clean of dust, debris, fingerprints, and droppings. If there is something on the glass at the time of the shooting, I avoid that location when setting up. Using a narrow depth of field can also throw any obstructing blemishes far enough out of focus to not be visible. When cleaning the Plexiglas, I use a soft cloth. Using paper towels or other paper products will scratch the Plexiglas over time, making it difficult to shoot through. Also, make sure you clean the Plexiglas with cleaners that are safe for the material. Ammonia-based cleaners can cause the Plexiglas to cloud over time. I use simple vinegar and water.

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