Shooting through a bus window

Recently I visited Timanfaya National Park in Lanzarote (Canary Islands). This is a beautiful volcanic area, with stunning views. Unfortunately, you can only drive your car to the visitors center, and have to take a bus (included in the entry fee) to see the various features. For a photographer that is a regular nightmare, but it does have the advantage that you’ll see a truly pristine landscape. No footsteps, no empty soda cans, nothing that suggests human activity. To shoot through the window of a bus, you need to take some precautions. First, make sure you wear something dark, preferably black. You don’t want your own white T-shirt reflected in all your photos! Next, clean the window. You won’t be able to clean the outside, but remove all smudges on the inside. Finally, use a medium focal length such as a 24-70mm (the longer the focal length, the less chance of picking up reflections, but you do want to see some of the landscape as well). Remove the lens hood and keep the lens as close to the glass as you can. If you have a chance to do so, make two bus tours so you can sit on either side of the bus. If you only make one bus tour in Timanfaya, I recommend you sit on the right side of the bus. This side has the best views (although the other side gets two nice views into a crater).