Reflection photography: The bad, the good, the beautiful.
Reflections in photographs can be a shot-making centerpiece or a distracting nightmare, depending on how they’re used, avoided, or managed. Reflection photography is its own subgenre of photography where the reflection is the focal point and main draw of your photo composition.
Some popular forms of reflection photography are mirror-reflection photography, water-reflection photography, and light-reflection photography. Reflections are also frequently used intentionally in product photography.
When not intended, though, reflections can be quite unwelcome, distracting from or even distorting the subject of your photo. Below, we’ll take you through scenarios involving the bad, the good, and the beautiful reflections you can find in your photography, and how to navigate each with confidence.
The bad: How to avoid unwanted reflections.
Getting unwanted reflections while composing your photo can be incredibly frustrating. When shooting reflective surfaces like metal, ceramic, and glass, there are a few things you can do to help minimize and get rid of these pesky distractions.
- Use backlighting. Whereas we get rid of shadows by lighting from the front, when trying to get rid of reflections, backlighting is our best friend. Whatever your light source is — be it a speedlight, a strobe, or your kitchen window — make sure to diffuse the source and place it behind your subject to avoid light reflections.
- Try a circular polarizing lens (CPL) filter. This handy tool reduces glare and reflections by filtering out light that’s been polarized by reflective surfaces like water, glass, or metal.
- Remember to block all other light sources. It’s easiest to do this by creating a small “cube” around your reflective subject, either with solid-color cloth or bounce cards.
- Use a long focal length (100mm or beyond) to help avoid catching your own reflection in the reflective subject.
If you’re unable to control every variable like you might in the studio, never fear! The easiest solution to get rid of unwanted reflections is changing the angle you’re shooting from. A tilt-shift lens can be very helpful for this and is particularly popular in architectural photography, both to help with reflections and to straighten angles when shooting with a wide-angle lens.
A cheaper alternative is to simply play around with the tilt of your camera itself, as well as the angle/position you shoot from, to see if you can eliminate the reflection.
The good: How to use reflected light to your advantage.
Reflected light, as opposed to direct or “incident” light, is a form of diffused light that can be just the thing to brighten up your photos without the use of a flash. You can find reflected light out in the wild, or control your own with a few simple tools.
Finding reflected light outside is as easy as finding a good surface that’s bright enough to bounce some light back at your subject. Some surfaces will be brighter than others, of course. A sandy beach will reflect a lovely diffused light upward toward your subject, helping to balance bright sunshine. A light-colored wall can highlight your subject and, depending on the color, contribute some fun hues as well. Or, if you’re going big, plate-glass windows often reflect sunshine in striking blocks of light that will make any subject pop. Keep your eyes peeled while out and about and you’re certain to find some useful surfaces for reflecting light right outside your front door.
If you’re inside or looking for a bit more control over your reflected light, you can create a reflector with something as simple and accessible as a piece of white board or paper. If you want a more distinct quality to your reflected light, you can also use foil or glass. And, of course, you can purchase reflectors from most photography suppliers, giving you precise control of your reflector’s surface and tone. Experiment with the placement of your reflector to see how it changes your lighting — just remember to keep it out of the frame!
The beautiful: Photographing reflections as your subject.
Reflections have been a source of inspiration for photographers as long as photography has been around, and before that, inspiration for painters and illustrators alike. A reflected mountain range in a still lake. A self-portrait in a bedroom mirror. Distorted reflections in a fresh puddle after a rainstorm. Reflections are a unique way of seeing the world, and while it’s hard to go wrong, there are a few ways you can take your reflection photography to the next level.
Shooting mirror reflections.
Mirrors can be a great way to creatively photograph your subject as well as obscure and bring mystery into your composition. Try shooting your subject’s reflection in a mirror rather than shooting them head-on, or try having your subject hold a mirror in front of them to simultaneously obscure their face and show the reflection of a different object (a tree, perhaps — or someone else’s face?). Play around with a mirror (and what’s reflected in it) as the focal point of your photograph.
Shooting water reflections.
Using water as a reflective surface in photography is quite popular, and for good reason. While photographing a beautifully reflected mountain or skyline is an achievement in and of itself, we recommend playing around with your composition to make your water reflection photos truly unique. Seen a lot of pristine lake photos lately? Try photographing a puddle. Tired of that horizon line right down the middle of the photo? Shift your composition and play with asymmetrical balance or the rule of thirds. Just be sure to underexpose when the sky is a part of your shot to avoid losing fine details.
Controlling reflected light is a key skill in all kinds of photography. We hope this post has shed a little light on the subject and inspired you to try some reflective shots of your own.
