Shooting thru a window and dealing with the reflections you get in a portrait can be interesting. You can get exceptional results, but the photoshoot can also go wrong quickly. So let’s see some tips to get the work done.
You don’t want anything too light going through your model’s head. To avoid this problem, you can shoot by changing the angle from which you take the photo. You want darker colors around the subject. If your subject has a dark background surrounding him/her, it usually makes the photograph more interesting. In this way, you get more contrast and no distracting object on the face of the model. A dark background is essential because many reflections can be fascinating, even if they are close to your subject’s face. But usually, you don’t want anything too distracting from your model’s face and eyes.
I shot this image using Fujifilm’s 23mm f2 lens (35mm equivalent on a full frame). I captured it shooting from a low angle to avoid my reflection on the image. As you can see here, the dark colors blend well, creating an exciting mood in the photograph. If you wear dark clothes, it is helpful as well. Sometimes can be a good idea to use the live view to avoid your shadow reflecting on the window.
Making photos through a window, you can also try framing the subject with the same window. In this way, you are creating a more exciting image. And the square of the other window reflecting on the glass is framing just the face of the model.
Using a window to make a portrait is suitable for creating more introspective images, where the subject shows feelings to the camera and looks lost in her thoughts.
Always remember that if you want your model’s face to pop more, you should place it against something dark reflecting on the glass (maybe a dark wall in front of the window, a dark car, anything in shadow).