Looking for help or ideas with a "two way mirror" type thing for my windows and doors

snowfall

I live in a rural area and get a lot of wildlife in my backyard or just outside my house; I'm a photographer so I often stand behind one of the glass doors or one of the windows and photograph them through that from inside the house. There's always been a problem with this, though; any type of movement on my part inside the house that is detected by the animal outside in the yard will spook it and it will run away.

So I was wondering what I could do to make it so that I can see the backyard outside clearly from inside the house but anything outside the house looking in won't be able to see me behind the glass. So far I've found two solutions, but neither is perfect...the first is just a very dark sheet of film that sticks to the window so that the window is tinted enough to block the internal view from outside. This would be fine if it weren't for the fact that I want to photograph these animals and shooting through a dark tinted window will affect the pictures in that they also would come out dark and tinted. The second is a two way mirror. The problem with this is that the animals outside would see their own reflection and would be spooked by that...this would mostly be a problem with the birds that come to the window feeders.

So what else can I do? Any ideas or suggestions would be much appreciated

DangerMouse

cut a lens sized hole in the film?

DM

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Jack Olsen

A 2-way mirror and the tinted film will both reduce the incoming light. But isn't that what an iris is for?

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Jack Olsen

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snowfall

I need a pretty wide range of motion for the camera though, and often have to change position as the animal moves. It's usually the changing the position that spooks them when they see me, actually.

I don't mind so much if there's less incoming light, I'm just wondering if it would have the same effect as looking through sunglasses in that you would be seeing different hues than you naturally would while looking/photographing through it. I just don't know if the film makes it darker or drastically changes the hues and tints of the appearance of the outside from the inside.

kwikfishron

Maybe you should be camouflaged to blend in with your background. Think like a hunter.

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gmhammes

Hang curtains and maybe space them out from the wall a bit so you can move between them?

jogr

You need to completely darken the room you're in - completely - no backlight allowed. Backlight makes your movements very noticeable. Then cover most of the window leaving a few choice photo portals to minimize front light. Have you ever tried looking into a small dark opening on a bright sunny day and all you see is black? That's what you need to achieve. And lastly, move slow.

Tom Struble

climb a tree and act like a nut?

Marty S.

Does not have to be a dark tint. We put a film on the picture window that's reflective with hardly any darkening,acts like a two way mirror but MUCH cheaper. The critters can't see in and neither can the neighbors untill it gets dark out. Bought it at Menards about 15 years ago to keep the sun from blazing in while still keeping the curtains open for natural light.

Window has to be perfectly cleaned first. Dampen glass with a mild dish soap and water solution. Apply film and squeegee out any air bubbles then trim the edge with a razor so it's flush with the glass.