How to Take Good Photos from an Airplane Window Seat

Have you ever flown on a commercial flight by the window and wondered how to capture an image of something interesting that you are flying over?

Steps

1. Get a window seat near the front of the plane. Go online and book your seat in advance. Some web-pages will show you were the seats are located. Try to get a window seat in front of the wing. This works well on larger planes, most smaller commerical planes reserve first-class and business class near the front. This area creates a smoother ride and you don't have the airplane wing to block your view. Another reason to have a seat before the wing section, is that the fumes from the engines will affect the quality of the photo.
2. Get your camera ready. Take your camera on the plane. Don't put it in the overhead area, this makes it difficult to get the camera since you are at a window seat and will have to ask two people to move. Tell the person next to you take you will be taking some photos as the plane is taking off. This will let the person know that you may be blocking his view for a few seconds. Set the speed of the camera at a high shutter speed, around 500 hundreds of a second. This will stop bluring of the photo. Set the ASA to around 250 to 400.
3. Take your photos at an angle. This will stop reflection coming back into your pictures. It helps if you have a digital camera, so you can see your results and make adjustments during the beginning or landing part of the trip.
4. Take your photos quickly, the plane is moving quickly, if you see something that you find interesting, it may be out of view the time you raise your camera.
5. Don't use flash photography. This will just reflect your flash back into your photo and it may scare your fellow passengers who may be first-time passengers on a plane flight.
6. Use a standard lens or a zoom lens, like a 35mm to 105mm. This will allow you to get photos of planes on the tarmac and other photos as the plane takes off.
7. Use a polizaration filter if you have one. This will help reduce reflection and add color to your photos.
   

Tips

• You have more time to take photos during the landing. The plane is moving slower as it reduces speed and follows a holding pattern when coming in.
• You should have some type of software program at home to enhance your photo and remove un-wanted marks that may be in your photo.
• Shoot both vertical photos and horizontal photos. Horizontal photos are better on the tarmac, vertical photos are better for photos of cities or the mountains.
• Hold the camera lens next to the window. This will reduce the false readings of an auto-focus camera and will prevent the camera focusing on the window instead of the image outside the window.
  

Warnings

• Follow all instructions by the captain or team member of that commerical flight.
• Don't try taking photos during a turbulent flight. This may cause the camera to hit you in the face.