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Tour Bus Photography
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Oct 21, 2018 09:13:52   #
jwn Loc: SOUTHEAST GEORGIA USA
 
try video and pull the still off video post production.

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Oct 21, 2018 09:45:11   #
aellman Loc: Boston MA
 
Tommyg wrote:
I know it is easier to take pictures off the bus than on it but sometimes the bus just will not stop. So, is there a formula or can someone offer some good advice for setting up for the sideways landscape shot, i.e. high iso + high shutter speed + low aperture or Auto or? Gracias!


Anther poster mentioned the window being dirty as a problem. He is right. Why not bring some cleaning stuff like baby wipes along. Napkins too, to dry off after baby wipes.

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Oct 21, 2018 09:51:41   #
thegrover Loc: Yorba Linda, CA
 
Rubber lens hood. So you can press against the glass.

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Oct 21, 2018 10:54:06   #
Tommyg
 
Thanks so much for all of your answers. They contain a lot of
good ideas🙂

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Oct 21, 2018 11:00:44   #
bpulv Loc: Buena Park, CA
 
Tommyg wrote:
I know it is easier to take pictures off the bus than on it but sometimes the bus just will not stop. So, is there a formula or can someone offer some good advice for setting up for the sideways landscape shot, i.e. high iso + high shutter speed + low aperture or Auto or? Gracias!


I have done a lot of tour bus photography around the world. First, be aware that many of the newer buses, especially in the British Isles and Europe, have polarized and even double pane windows. In either case, a polarizing filter will not work. Additionally, these newer windows are very reflective so you will not only be fighting glare and reflections from outside the bus, but also from behind you from inside the bus. The only way I have found to counteract that is by angling my camera to the glass to minimize that and post production work. There is little you can do about dirt on the outside of the windows. Some operators are good about arriving at the pickup point in the morning with clean windows and some are not.

When you are getting on the bus, always ask the tour guide or driver which side of the bus will be best for the subjects you wish to see and photograph. There is nothing as discouraging as sitting on the left side of the bus while everyone on the right side has unobstructed views of the ocean while you can only see the deep road cut ten feet from your window.

I have also found that the lens is important too and you should always use a lens hood to help with the glare. If the bus is not full, I try to get a seat by myself and use my f2.8 24-70mm lens while sitting in the right seat. If the bus is crowded, I take a window seat. Because of the length of the f2.8 24-70mm, I compromise and use a much shorter barrel wide angle prime lens so I will not be pushed back from the window and interfering with the passenger in the aisle seat. The front seats are of little value on most tour buses because they are too far in front of you and the side windows, especially on a high level bus, are small and restrictive. Also, do you want the highway in the majority of your pictures?

As others have mentioned, you need to make more exposures then you normally would and also take advantage of the times the bus stops for a red light or heavy traffic to shoot more steady shots. I shot the picture below in Ireland while our bus was stopped on a bridge waiting for a red light.

Also, always shoot RAW because you will need to color correct most of your exposures and in many cases do substantial post production editing. And make sure you use the highest shutter speed possible (at least 1/1000 second) when the bus is moving at highway speeds. Use shutter priority so your camera will not inadvertently pick a lower shutter speed. Don't worry about ISO.


(Download)

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Oct 21, 2018 11:02:30   #
jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY
 
bsprague wrote:
Plan on lots of rejects.


Sad, but true.

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Oct 21, 2018 11:42:34   #
FL Streetrodder
 
I disagree with the advice to use a polarizer as most tour bus windows are tinted and/or have a polarizing film on them which will lead to all kinds of problems if you have a polarizing filter on your camera.

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Oct 21, 2018 11:46:40   #
mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey
 
Longshadow wrote:
Make sure you have a lens wipe or two with you. I got on a plane one time and someone before me with greasy hair? must have slept against the window.....


Of course that won't help if the dirt is on the outside.

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Oct 21, 2018 12:19:23   #
bpulv Loc: Buena Park, CA
 
FL Streetrodder wrote:
I disagree with the advice to use a polarizer as most tour bus windows are tinted and/or have a polarizing film on them which will lead to all kinds of problems if you have a polarizing filter on your camera.


I did not say that you should not use a polarizer. I use them on buses with unpolarized single pane windows. But, more and more new buses have polarized or, especially in northern areas of Europe and the British Isles, double pane windows. A polarizing filter will not work with either type.

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Oct 21, 2018 13:08:48   #
Tommyg
 
Well let me present some more information. I shot from the bus using a D7200 w/ 18 - 300 3.5 - 5.6 lens. I always used a lens hood and a polarizing filter at times to see if there were any differences. I had not thought of the bus windows & now realize that the polarizing filter did not give good results. I just started using back button focusing. I did experiment between using manual and shutter modes. Shutter was the easier method and worked the best. However, I did get more information as to what relationships there were between multiple S, iso & f - stop settings. I was all over the map using shutter speeds and iso settings. I shot way higher than S 500 & 6400 iso at times. I did shoot a few signposts. I did get some good shots but it took me shooting a lot of shots to do so. Post processing helped immeasurably so did shooting in raw.

In the future, I will shoot in S, lower my shutter speed, iso & angle my lens for better photos. Thank you for your detailed answers Buena Park

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Oct 21, 2018 13:30:46   #
David in Dallas Loc: Dallas, Texas, USA
 
Although you should not touch the window with the lens (transmits vibration), get as close as you can so as to suppress reflections in the window of what is behind you. (A polarizing filter won't suppress those.) If you can't shoot perpendicular to the window, a polarizer may help, but I find that just being careful to have dark material on the seat in front (drape a black cloth if the seat material is bright) helps a lot--that seat is what is usually reflected in the window near enough to matter. Here's a couple from a recent trip to San Francisco:

DSC_6709.jpg
by David Casteel, on Flickr


DSC_6771.jpg
by David Casteel, on Flickr


DSC_6714.jpg
by David Casteel, on Flickr

With a little care, satisfactory photos can be taken through the windows of a coach (or automobile).

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Oct 21, 2018 13:34:59   #
Tommyg
 
Thanks

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Oct 21, 2018 13:44:52   #
CPR Loc: Nature Coast of Florida
 
If the window looks clean and without reflections - it isn't and there will be reflections sooooo - either open the window or get a rubber lens cap and press it up to the glass.

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Oct 21, 2018 14:19:45   #
Newsbob Loc: SF Bay Area
 
I’ve had excellent results shooting at ISO800 and 1/800 shutter speed. I curl my hand around the lens to cut reflections. It’s terrible if the bus has tinted windows, in which case you can only fix it by changing the color balance in post-processing. I’ve found that it also sometimes helps to reduce the saturation a bit. The worst reflections are when the driver leaves the lights on, even in daytime. Sometimes I ask him/her to turn them off and haven’t usually gotten any bad reactions from my fellow travelers, since the lights also affect their shooting.

I’ve found that higher ISO will work but produce somewhat noisier images. And faster shutter speeds require higher ISO. So my 800/800 rule works best for me. I set it as soon as I get on the bus. Obviously there are times when I need to change, like when the bus is driving very fast, or at dusk. And always process the RAW images for best results.

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Oct 21, 2018 14:50:38   #
repleo Loc: Boston
 
Tommyg wrote:
I know it is easier to take pictures off the bus than on it but sometimes the bus just will not stop. So, is there a formula or can someone offer some good advice for setting up for the sideways landscape shot, i.e. high iso + high shutter speed + low aperture or Auto or? Gracias!


If you are thinking of trying to shoot from a coach in Europe, be aware that a lot of coaches there have that perforated film that looks reasonably transparent from the inside but reads as a advertisement or banner from the outside to cut down on heat gain. I haven't tried to shoot through it, but I suspect it could effect auto focus and would significantly reduce the light coming through. Other posters have complained of a polarizing film on the glass.

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