Requesting advice: is there a way to take a photo of a glass framed photo...

[IcyPeas]

Hi DU photographers

I am trying to take a photo with my cellphone camera of a framed photograph that is behind glass. I've walked all around my apartment with the framed picture looking for a spot that won't have a reflection but that seems impossible. It's a professionally framed picture so I hesitate to take it apart.

Is there a trick to getting a photo without a reflection?

Thank you.

[rainy]

1. Outside in natural light. Move it around until you find a perfect place?

[IcyPeas]

7. I will try this tomorrow in the daylight. Thanks

[flying_wahini]

2. Have you tried turning off all lights in the area?

I had to do the same - if you are taking with an IPhone try playing with the filters too.

[IcyPeas]

8. I will try this. Thanks

[Earl_from_PA]

3. Take glass out of the frame

Take the photo. Return the glass to the frame.

[usonian]

4. Simple suggestion first.

I used two fluorescent (meaning wide) lights, one on each side, at 45 degrees to the picture.

I did that to "scan" stuff using an ipad on a little stand above the pictures.

Complex suggestion is withheld for now. It involves a "Circular polarizer" but you might find one of those old "anti glare" screens that were often used with computer monitors. They did the same thing.

Understand about not wanting to take it apart. Some photos use sharp little pins, rather than long-ish "staples" to hold everything together. And then you have to put them back. Maybe a craft store can make suggestions or help.

[IcyPeas]

11. I'm not really sure what you mean in your first paragraph usonian

Yeah, if I take it apart I'll probably just put it in a new frame altogether. The professional frame is double matted too. If I take it apart I may regret it.

Thank you

[usonian]

12. I knew I'd find it.

This is the ultimate. Search for copy stand. I made my own from odds and ends.




I probably recall the idea from old Kodak books on product photography. Even lighting with no direct glare. Same general idea.

Just vastly simpler.

[IcyPeas]

13. Oh okay, now I understand your 1st paragraph... perfectly.

I see a tabletop version too when i do that search. But for just one picture I'll see what else I can try... or just take 25 photos in various positions and pick the best one.

[usonian]

14. Aren't we photographers visual thinkers?

I do OK with words, too, but pictures work great. Good luck!!

[hunter]

5. I've had luck taking the picture at an angle that minimizes glare.

Sometimes it would be inappropriate to take a framed picture off the wall.

This will turn a rectangular artwork into a trapezoid in your image, of course, but that can be fixed in Photoshop, Gimp, etc. at the cost of some loss of resolution.

Shrink the long side, don't expand the short side.

Can Apple or Android cell phones do that? I don't know, I've never had one.

[usonian]

6. I do that when I take pix of hilarious junk in thrift stores

so I don't end up buying the silly stuff.

Iphone has a couple of wedges in the crop /rotate tool that let you "keystone" vertically or horizontally. GIMP has fancy tools but after years, the transform tools still puzzle me. I'll figure them out eventually. I *did* figure out the "heal" tool and took some nasty powerlines out of a nice scenic overlook.

[IcyPeas]

10. Google photos has a tool where you can erase or camouflage a selected area of a photo.

It works well. Pretty amazing.

[hunter]

16. I use the G'MIC plugin on GIMP to remove power lines, scratches in negatives, etc.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G'MIC

https://github.com/GreycLab/gmic

https://gmic.eu/

It's in many Linux repositories and there are YouTube tutorials.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxhZWW4XG2XEJqfGmGWiG7EfttWtpQvyu

I've never used Photoshop much so I've never had to unlearn anything to use GIMP fluently.

Luddite that I am, the new AI stuff in commercial image processing software troubles me.

[IcyPeas]

9. Yes, the samsung (android) gallery has a tool to fix that both horizontally and/or vertically

I think Google photos does too.

Will see what I can do.

Thank you

[Grumpy Old Guy]

15. Try using a polarizing filter.

It should cut the glare.

I have a couple of family portraits that need to be copied too.