Photos of stunning landscape reflections have mesmerized viewers since the birth of modern day photography. Some of these photos have donned popular posters and greetings cards and have to a large extent been considered graphical representations. The truth is most of these photos are real and with proper skills, right moment and place, you can also capture such breath taking reflections. You don’t have to go searching for landscape near water bodies to capture reflections; there are many opportunities around you for reflection photos.

Though many reflection photos are mere products of luck after being on the right place at the right time, you can’t ride on luck all the time and hope to capture great photos. There are various tips that can guide you in capturing reflections as elucidated below.

The hunt

As stated earlier, you don’t have to go hunting for a lake by a mountain to capture reflections. There are many shiny surfaces around us that can be photographed. Urban centres for example have many glass facades that can be used to artistically act as your photo subjects. Polished surfaces of cars, granite, cups and even marbles are other surfaces with reflective qualities and can be used as your subjects. Remember, you can capture just the reflections or you can also include the original subject in your photo.

But if you are intending to go for nature subjects like landscapes, you should look for water bodies that would give you spectacular shots. One rule of the thumb is that the deeper the water body, the harder it will be to get a clear reflection. Seasonal ponds can be great reflective surfaces from where you can compose great photos. One thing, however, that is common with all water bodies is that you need relatively calm bodies to get proper pictures. Ripples mess up the reflections and so it is important to go for photography when the wind is not so strong to cause ripples.

Morning hours are more favoured for capturing reflections though evening hours will also be as good. The key here is to photograph when the sun is high or there is enough light to create good reflection. High noon provides enough light but more often the light is too much that photos became over exposed or the reflections became too dark.

The technique

There are several aspects of photography that must be taken into consideration while capturing a reflection. First, you need to get the right angle so you can make use of the light and still capture the reflection. Some reflective surfaces or subjects are too small that it’s a real challenge to capture the reflection without filling the plane with your image of the camera lens image. It is easier to capture reflections in a studio than outdoors since you can regulate the light in the studio and even move your subjects, something that may be hard while shooting outdoors.

Focusing and exposure are other challenges that go with reflection photography. Since you are dealing with two parts of the photo, i.e., the reflection and the original subjects, you may find contrasting readings on your camera and chances are that one part will not be well exposed as it should be. The reason is that the reflections are often darker that the original. To overcome this, it is recommended that you always use manual settings on your camera so that the camera doesn’t make its own adjustments according to what it ‘thinks’ you are capturing. If you are capturing landscapes, you should select a higher f number like f11 or higher so that you can have a deeper depth of field to avoid a situation where important details are eliminated.

In regard to focusing, try focusing on both the reflection and the main subjects and after getting the readings, chose what will be good for both portions of the photo.

Final take

Reflection photography is like an abstract art. There are no guidelines to what you get but it is more about experimentation. Once you start chasing reflections, you will soon realize that is an addictive art and will stop at nothing to get your dream reflection. If you are looking for that dream refection, stop searching for ‘helpful tips’; grab your camera and go hunting for one.

	Quick read: You don’t have to go searching for landscape near water bodies to capture reflections; there are many opportunities around you for reflection photos Morning hours are more favoured for capturing reflections though evening hours will also be as good If you are intending to go for nature subjects like landscapes, you should look for water bodies that would give you spectacular shots you need to get the right angle so you can make use of the light and still capture the reflection If you are capturing landscapes, you should select a higher f number like f11 or higher

Photos by Nathan Gitonga