There’s something about doors and windows. Doors and windows tell us a lot about the streets, about history, about culture, and they are everywhere. Doors and windows are big, small, plain, colorful, old, new, modern, vintage, they come in all shapes and forms. Sometimes you will find doors and windows open, sometimes closed, with or without people, and even sometimes the door or window is not there, but you know where it was supposed to be.
Doors and windows beg to be opened. You are supposed to open doors and walk through them. You’re supposed to open the windows and let the breeze in. The doors and windows are intriguing and fascinating.
The doors and windows are there and they are full of patterns, textures and designs. They call us to be photographed. They come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and materials. Some are huge and some are intimidating, some are small and just there. Some doors and windows are famous and some are also art forms. These and more surely bring the fascination of capturing images of doors and windows.
Capturing an image of a door or window may seem like an easy task. What can be so difficult about it, they’re flat, so there’s no ‘Depth of Field’ to worry about. They don’t move, so there’s no ‘Shutter Speed’ to worry about. But wait, doors and windows have their challenges too.
Most of the time doors and windows try to avoid the sun, they wait patiently under awnings, doorways, trees… oh, shadows. The sun may be hitting them, so there’s a reflection you might not like or want to take advantage of. Shaded doors and windows tend to have cool, low, blue-toned light, so warm filters are sometimes necessary.
As with most photography, early morning and late afternoon are the best times to photograph doors and windows, not only because of the warmth of the light, but also because the porches, awnings, and entrances are out of the way of light and there are no shadows. Side lighting is also interesting, it will enhance the texture of the door or window, as well as its details.
Using a tripod is usually required to capture details of doors and windows, as you will be shooting at a medium to slow shutter speed. Natural light is usually adequate, but if you’re not using a tripod, you may need a flash to complete.
When you find a door or a window that you want to capture. The first thing is to remember your first impression, think about it and review it. What was it that caught your attention? The color of the door or window, the general scene, the wall around it, the door or window itself, the handle, the texture or the curtains on the window. Whatever it is, make sure you capture that detail, without it, the image could lose its magic.
Another important point to focus on is to get close enough to remove all distractions and isolate your main focal point, the one that caught your eye. Watch the lights and keep the back of your camera parallel to the door or window to keep everything sharp and in focus, also maximizing depth of field.
If it was the texture, the oxidation, the peeling paint, the carvings that caught your eye, then go in closer and consider using a macro lens, you really want to capture as much detail as possible. Side lighting can accentuate those details, use shadows to add depth to texture, capture a two-dimensional image.
Doorknobs are interesting details to capture. Depth of field plays an important role in the composition of your image. If you want to capture the entire goatee, use a smaller aperture so everything is in focus, if you want to capture just the end of the goatee and blur the back, then use a larger aperture. Think about other distracting elements involved in doorknobs such as locks and other highlights, make sure you know how you want your image to look.
After capturing what caught your eye, step back and study the rest of the door or window. Change your position, your angles, go down, go up and look around you. You may discover that there is more, capture different perspectives, your choices are fascinating.
When capturing images of doors and windows, take your time, remember that the door and window are not going anywhere.
