Photographing Water Reflections to Mirror the World's Beauty

Photograph: Dichotomy by Stefano Corso
A still lake, pond, or puddle .. the reflections of solid objects in water ... that's been a favorite subject for countless painters and photographers. Capturing the shapes and colors of trees, rocks, and people in softer, muted hues is what reflection photography is all about.

There are many good tips about the best conditions and techniques for taking photographs of water reflections. Here are a few tips I snagged from a Photo.net forum string:

• The best reflection shots happen with well illuminated subjects against a clear blue sky. That means the sun should not be in front but in back of your position.

• Its often more interesting to have something in the water itself be visible, either by sticking or growing out of it. 

• Shallow bodies of still water make for excellent shots, including small ponds and even puddles.

• Use a tripod. Smooth out the water a bit with long (1 to 4 second) exposures. Stop down. Use f/16 or smaller for great depth of field. Expose for the reflection and then drop down on shutter speed.

• Polarizers are worthwhile when working with reflections because they help control the amount of reflected light you get. 

In my Video Pick for this week, I wanted to show some photographs that Suellen, an otherwise unnamed photographer from Canada, shot on a beautiful Thanksgiving Day on Lac Philippe in Quebec. I was struck by her skillful piecing together of the shorelines in multiple images - the strong line emphasizes the strength of the real-life shapes on top of the shoreline and the symmetrical-but-shimmering reflection in the water below. These pictures, even though taken of a still and quiet series of reflections, show tremendous drama, movement, and color. So go out and take some water-reflection pictures to capture the natural majesty of this colorful season!

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