How to Photograph Stained Glass

Last Updated: January 24, 2021

Stained glass, whether in windows or other forms, can be challenging to photograph. There may be a great distance between the stained glass and the photographer-this can be an obstacle to getting clear pictures. Taking good pictures of stained glass can be accomplished using a film or digital camera, however. Follow these tips to photograph stained glass.

Steps

1
Ask if any wire meshes or other material protecting the stained glass can be temporarily removed. This way, you can photograph the glass without obstructions.
2
Put a white translucent sheet over the stained glass if too much sunlight is coming through it.

Advertisement
3
Climb a ladder or scaffolding as close to the stained glass as possible.
4
Position your camera directly opposite the stained glass. Start taking photos. This is a traditional method used to avoid seeing distortion in your stained glass pictures.
5
Move away from the stained glass you want to photograph. This technique works better with digital cameras.
6
Put a very long lens on your camera.
7
Zoom in towards the stained glass and take pictures. This should greatly reduce distortion in your photographs.
8
Put your camera on a tripod. Using a tripod prevents the occurrence of shaky pictures and can save you energy from holding a camera as still as possible.
9
Set your camera's self-timer for taking pictures of stained glass. This method will ensure that your camera does not experience any movement, even from a hand-pressed shutter button.
10
Use a small aperture setting for your camera. This is good for shooting stained glass that is high above you, such as a window. Using a small aperture will bring the top and bottom of the distant object's art into focus.
11
Set your camera's exposure metering. Generally, spot or center-weighted metering should be used. The better exposed a mid-tone color is, usually yellow or gold, in the stained glass photo will indicate how well the camera's spot or center-weighted exposure has been set.

Advertisement