9 reflection photography ideas

Aside from the obvious use of a mirror-like reflection in your image, reflection photography can also refer to the use of reflected light in your image. 

So, in this article, we will look at some different ways you can use reflections in your photography, be it a reflected image or reflected light.

 

Mirror image reflections

The most common type of reflection photography is the classic mirror image. 

To get this, a scene must be reflected in a perfectly still body of water, such as a lake, river or puddle. Or the most obvious being a mirror, glass or even a shiny metal surface.

 

1. Reflections on lakes

How often have you been drawn to a scene such as a beautiful lake with a mountainous backdrop? 

A large part of that beauty is often because that mountainous backdrop is mirrored in the lake, particularly on cool, still mornings. 

For a perfect mirror image, the water ideally needs to be clear, calm and still. So you need to get up bright and early or be out on a windless day. 

Alternatively, you could use a long exposure to smooth out the water. While this helps to bring out the reflection, the results are not as sharp as the still water effect.

For the classic full mirror image of a mountainous backdrop, centralise the horizon so that the reflected scene is symmetrical.

 

Use a polarising filter

Ordinarily, a polarising filter cuts out reflections on water and is used when you want to remove the reflection or glare on the surface. 

However, a CPL can also be used to enhance the detail of a reflected image by applying the effect liberally. 

If you turn it fully on, the reflected image will disappear completely. But turn it in reverse slowly, and you will find the point where the effect has removed enough glare to enhance your reflection. 

It doesn’t always have to be mountains, though. Other options are to place certain elements showing a full mirror image reflected in the lake, such as a church or a castle at the lakeside or even on the lake itself. Or seek out smaller, more minimalistic scenes like fence posts on a floodplain. 

 

2. Reflections on rivers

It doesn’t always have to be lakes, though—rivers also make a great subject for a reflected scene, albeit a little smaller.

When photographing a scene with a single reflected element, capturing the whole subject in the water is important. 

Many often make the mistake of cutting off part of the reflection. This can sometimes work, depending on the subject being reflected. However, the reflection should be kept intact if your subject is a single, prominent scene feature, like a lone tree or characteristic building. 

So, get yourself into a position where you can obtain a perfect mirror image of that feature.

Related: The 3 essential camera filters (and how to use them)

 

3. Reflections in rock pools

The sea is not a good subject for mirror-like reflections because it constantly moves. 

You can use a super long exposure to smooth it out, which will help. However, when shooting coastal scenes, one idea is to look for rock pools and then try to capture an element of the scene reflected in the still water. 

This could be some interesting cloud formation or a part of the landscape in the background. If you have an interesting sky with good clouds, you can capture a nice reflection of those clouds in the pool. 

Use a wide-angle to accentuate the pool and reflection. At sunset or sunrise, get close and low to capture the colour reflected in the water.

 

4. Reflections in puddles

Just like rock pools, puddles make a great subject for reflection photography. 

The good news is you don’t have to travel far for this—head outside after the rain. It’s better after the rain for perfect reflections because the puddles will be calm and still. 

When it’s raining, you will get a splatter of raindrops, which can also be used for creative effect.

Here, you can use puddles for various creative ideas and subjects, such as buildings, people, etc. 

Kids are a great subject for this, too. Get them out playing and splashing around for some fun shots.

 

5. Sunset or sunrise reflections

The golden hour is a magical time to photograph, especially when you get those flaming red or orange skies and clouds. 

Well, reflections can be used to double or enhance that. So, head out to the water if you can. Lakes and rivers, or the coast, are the best bet. 

When the whole sky is alight with colour, this makes a perfect mirror image. 

When the sun is in your frame, be careful if the water is moving, as the reflection will likely be blurred. Over the sea, you can use this to capture a beautiful light trail from the sun as it sinks towards the horizon.

Alternatively, once again, look for rock pools or tidal pools and see if you can get the sun reflected in the still water there.

If you can’t get to the coast or a lake, head into your town or city. If it’s been raining, then puddles or wet streets will reflect the colour of the sky, too. 

Also, look for scenes with lots of glass to reflect that colour. Cities or towns with glass buildings are ideal, somewhere near a big building with lots of glass windows.

Related: The ultimate guide to panoramic photography

 

6. Long exposure on reflections

We mentioned earlier that reflections are better on still water, but that doesn’t mean you should give up when the water isn’t still. 

A long exposure on moving water can have the creative effect of stretching, expanding and enhancing a reflection. 

It won’t always work, depending on the subject or the direction the water is moving, but when done well, it can have a dramatic effect. 

The image here was shot at 1.3 seconds. The water was moving slowly, and so this helped elongate the reflected cloud. The careful use of a polariser has also brought out the reflection's colour, contrast and detail.

 

7. Focus more on just the reflection

You don’t always need to have the subject of your reflection completely in the photo, or even at all. You can emphasise the reflected part more or just the reflection itself. 

 

8. Abstract reflections

You can also use ripples and moving water for abstract reflection photography. 

If it’s a windy day and been raining, head out into the streets and play with exposure times to try and get more creative or impressionistic style reflections using the shapes, colours and shadows around you. 

These could be people with colourful raincoats, umbrellas, or the neon lights from surrounding buildings at night. Use the wet ground or puddles for the reflections. 

A shorter exposure creates a more speckled or distorted effect, whereas the longer exposures create warped or elongated shapes. 

Experiment with unusual ideas. The great thing about digital is that it is easy to delete anything that doesn’t work.

Related: The essential features of every digital camera 

 

9. Reflected light

Last but not least, the use of reflected light is also a type of reflection photography. 

In this case, we are not using a reflected image in our scene but rather the reflective surface to project a stream of light in the form of a nice shape or pattern that streams across our scene.

Alternatively, we can use a reflective surface as another light source for our subject. When shooting on sunny days, you often get problems with shadows, so you can use reflected light to fill in those shadows. 

Examples of objects that reflect light are:

• snow
• large white walls
• shiny metal surfaces
• windows

If photographing people in the city on a sunny day, try to find a shady place with a big white wall or shiny surface lit by direct sunlight. The wall will also act as a big diffuser and cast a softer light on your subject than the more harsh direct light of the sun.

In winter, use the snow as a light reflector. 

 

Reflective surfaces

So remember, there are many different ways to capture reflection photography and many objects you can use to obtain it. So get outside and start looking around. You’ll be surprised and what is reflected back at you.

 

About the author:

Ian Middleton is a travel and landscape photographer and writer. He is the author of several books, including a practical guide to photography. His photography has been used in numerous publications worldwide and is sold as high-quality wall art online.

Visit his website for more info: https://ianmiddletonphotography.co.uk

 

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