When we are away on a trip to a resort, we might chance upon a beautiful azure sky or blue sea. In this article, I will introduce techniques to capture shots of such breathtaking scenery faithfully according to what we see. The key point here lies in how we make use of the lens accessories. (Reported by: Tatsuro)

EOS 6D/ EF24-105mm f/4L IS USM/ FL: 35mm/ Shutter-priority AE (f/8, 1/320 sec., EV+1.0)/ ISO 400/ WB: Daylight

I did not have a chance to get off while I was travelling on a long distance bus, so I made sure that I was able to capture clear shots of the breathtaking scenery that unfolded before me without any glass reflection. Here, I expressed the bright blue sky and the colour of the Adriatic Sea that I chanced upon during my trip using vivid colours with a strong contrast.

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Step 1: Use a PL filter and place the lens in close contact with the window glass

Scenery from a long distance bus while I was travelling from Dubrovnik, the ancient capital of Croatia, to Tirana of Albania. This shot was taken when the bus passed by the area near Budva of Montenegro.

If I were to photograph the scenery through the window, irregular reflection of the passengers and seats inside the bus would be captured in the image. This is where the PL filter comes in handy. Turn the front part of the filter's dual frame until the image appears clearest. The Adriatic Sea is so crystal clear you can see through it, but the high clarity of the water surface in the foreground can partly be attributed to the PL filter, which helped to eliminate reflections.

Step 2: Select a relatively fast shutter speed taking into account shake caused by the moving bus

Since it would be shaky if you are photographing inside a moving bus, select a fast shutter speed. In this photo, I used a focal length of 35mm, which is a relatively wide angle and thus less likely to result in a blurry image due to camera shake. Nevertheless, to be safe, I raised the shutter speed to 1/320 second by increasing the ISO speed.

Step 3: Check frequently for any reflection from the window glass and also the strength of the contrast

As the route that the bus took was a gentle curve throughout the entire journey, the position of the sun kept changing. Sunlight was shining from the side at the beginning, but shifted every few seconds to direct light from the front at times, and oblique light at others. It was therefore necessary to turn the PL filter as and when and check the colour contrast as well as the extent to which reflections are removed. While taking the composition into consideration, I took continuous shots and kept checking through the viewfinder at the same time to ensure that reflections were effectively eliminated.