Yeah, windows are a big deal. And the shelter magazines right now are all leaning towards blown-out windows. But oftentimes the view out a window is something that’s hugely important to my clients.
So for sure one of the first things I do in evaluating a room is make a decision about the windows: do I want to see everything that’s out there (beautiful green trees, view, sky) or just hint at what’s out there (a view of the house next door?) or not show it at all (the cement factory next door).
So I start out by exposing for what I want in the windows, which could be anything from f/5.6 and 1/20th to “blow it out” up to f/14 and 1/250th to bring in every detail. Above 1/250th I can’t sync with my flashes, so that’s the upper limit.
Once I have that exposure, I start lighting the interior to match the ambient.
So here's a shot with no added light, just whatever tungsten or whatever light fixtures are in the room. Here I just wanted to get the window exposure:
So then the next step is to bring the interior up to match that exposure. One thing that I can do because I'm using remotely triggered lights, is get the adjoining rooms lit as well. Check out the room at the bottom of the staircase:
Little details like that can really make the shot.