How To Remove Yourself From a Mirror In a Photograph With an “Invisible” Camera

Many of us architectural photographers are no strangers to a good tilt-shift lens. We probably even have a favorite that we use regularly for most of our shoots. My personal favorite is the Canon TS-E 24mm f/3.5 II. Although I don’t shoot with it as much as I do the 45mm, I still prefer the 24mm over the other tilt-shift lenses.

In a video from ThioJoe, Joe discusses how you can use tilt-shift lenses in creative ways to take difficult shots. For many interior photographers, mirrors can be an absolute pain. Shiny and reflective surfaces tend to cause more problems for me than anything, and although a polarizer can help in certain instances, it’s not a perfect solution.

In the video above Joe demonstrates how a tilt-shift lens can be used to take a straight on picture of a mirror without having the camera in frame. Using the shift mechanism, you on these types of lenses you have far more flexibility than any other type of lens, this is especially useful if you’re trying to get a stronger composition. Instead of shooting at a weird angle, you can simply shift the lens and produce a one point perspective. As Mike Kelley has pointed in out several times, a one point perspective tends to be the best way to get a strong and meaningful composition.

Although a basic explanation, this will make clear a simple concept that is essential to using tilt-shift lenses, a mandatory purchase for architectural photography.