In a previous post, we explored creating a symmetrical image where both sides of the image are identical. This time we will explore and add the skill of reflections to your toolkit. A reflection can be a symmetrical but it doesn’t always have to be.
Reflections occur when light travels in waves and when they come in contact with a surface they bounce off. When that surface is rough, the different beams of light bounce off in all sorts of directions and there is no reflection. When the surface is smooth like glass or water, the light bounces off in a coherent way and we get a reflection. Usually this smooth and shiny surface is water, but it can be any other flat shiny surface such as glass or metal.
The best way to capture reflections
We have all seen reflections but what is the best way to capture these reflected rays of light? The first thing you will have to be very aware of is the angle you choose. Depending on how close you are to the reflected surface you may have to adopt a very low angle close to the ground. The closer you get to the reflective surface the lower you will have to be. In fact, if you are right beside the reflective surface you may have to be almost at the same level. This means if you are up close to a puddle, you may have to put your camera on the ground to capture the reflection. Of course this also depends on the height and size of the object that is being reflected. If it is a tall building then you might be able to stand close to the reflective surface and capture the reflection. If the subject is lower to the ground, you will probably have to get down to ground level to see and capture the reflection.
Sometimes we can see reflections but they are not very pronounced. What is the best way to capture a strong reflection? As you may have guessed, light plays a huge role in the strength of a reflection. The strongest reflections will have light that hits the subject that is reflected. So if I am capturing an image of a building, I want the light to be hitting the building.
An overcast day results in reflections that are not very strong. I adopted a low perspective on the ground to get the right angle to capture the reflection.
Polarizing Filter
So what happens if it is an overcast day and there is no direct light hitting my subject? This will definitely affect the strength of the reflection. A wonderful tool for enhancing reflections is a polarizing filter. It will allow you to rotate the front element of the filter to enhance or reduce reflections on a surface. A polarizing filter is a great filter to have because unlike coloured filters, its effects cannot be replicated in post processing on the computer. Because it is dark, it will cut down the amount of light that enters your camera so it will also give you a slower shutter speed. In addition, polarizing filters reduce glare so they will also give you punchy colours in your image (an effect which can be reproduced in post processing). Polarizers work best when the light source (in most cases, the sun) is at a 90 degree angle from where you are pointing your lens. This means that the sun should either be to your left or your right when you are facing your subject.
The photo on the left was captured without a filter and the image on the right was captured with a polarizing filter.
Challenges
There can be a couple of challenges when trying to capture a reflection. First of all, the focusing plane for the reflection is different than that of the subject. This means if there is an image that is reflected in the water and I focus on something else on the surface of the water like a leaf, then the object that is reflected in the water will not be in focus. I can adjust my focus so that I am focusing on the object that is reflected in the water, but the leaf that is on the surface will no longer be in focus.
So you may have to choose which you want to have in focus or try to use a small aperture to have both the reflection and subject in focus. Of course, you don’t have to have both in focus but keep this in mind when you are choosing what you are focusing on when composing your image.
In the image on the left, the lily pads are in focus and the reflection of the clouds is out of focus. In the image on the right, the lily pads are out of focus and the clouds are in focus.
The second aspect of reflections that can cause difficulties for the photographer is getting the correct exposure. If you are including both the subject and the subject’s reflection in your image, then the reflection of that subject will often be underexposed by around one stop. So the reflected subject will appear darker than the actual subject.
The brightness of the reflection is darker than the original subject.
Options for Exposure
There are a few things that the photographer can do to deal with this issue. The first tool that is available to you is a filter that goes in front of your lens called a graduated neutral density filter. It is darker on one half of the filter than the other and in most cases has a slightly gradually transition from dark to clear. The dark side will allow less light to reach part of your image. In the case of reflections, you put the dark part over the subject and the clear part over the reflection. This will allow you to capture a balanced exposure. Another option available to the photographer is to capture two separate images (using a tripod to keep steady) and then combine the images later in post processing into one High Dynamic Range (HDR) image. We can look at these options in future blog posts.
You don’t always have to include both the reflection and the subject when you are capturing an image. You could also just capture the reflection and not include the subject in the frame and you won’t have to worry about varying exposures. It can be very effective to just capture part or none of the subject and just capture the reflection. This allows the viewer of your image to explore your image in two ways – the reflection as well as the other foreground objects.
Don’t worry if you don’t have a polarizing filter – you will still be able to capture reflections in this workshop. The important thing is to look for reflective surfaces. I have mentioned water a lot in this section as it is one of the major and readily available sources of reflections. Shiny surfaces like metal work really well and even highly polished wood or stones can give you good reflections. The reflections do not have to be super crisp and clear to help you capture an image.
Perspective
To successfully capture the subject when using a reflective surface on the ground like water, you must sometimes get very low to the ground. This is more true when using wide angle lenses than telephoto lenses because with a telephoto lens you are usually further away from your subject and so the reflection can be captured from a higher perspective. However, if you are using a wide angle lens, then you may have to get the camera down almost to the ground level and up close to your reflective surface. I have received many strange looks while lying down in front of a puddle with my camera but the results are worth it.
Workshop: Finding and capturing reflections
Try going out with your camera and be on the lookout for reflective surfaces – they can be water but don’t limit yourself to it. This is a great activity for after a rain storm. I want you to really focus on how the reflection reacts to two factors. The first is the angle at which you are looking at the reflection. What happens when you are close to the ground or standing? The second factor to be on the look-out for is how the reflection reacts to the distance you are from the reflective surface. How does the reflection react when you are close as opposed to far away from the reflection? This is also where you will have to be aware of what lens you might want to use. If you are close to the reflection, try using a wide angle lens and include the reflection. If you are further away, use your telephoto lens. Remember that the reflection focuses on a different plane than the surface of the reflective surface so focus carefully.
What you need:
Your camera and a wider angle lens when close to reflective surfaces and a telephoto lens when far away from them. If possible, a polarizing filter to enhance or reduce the amount of reflection. You will also need some reflective surfaces – water works well.
