Reflected Water in a Landscape by Tony Worobiec

Reflected Water in Landscape Photography - Tips and Tricks

Reflected Water in Landscape Photography - What to Do?

 

Reflections witin the Landscape

As with anything creative, in photography we should always look for new ways to be imaginative in our work. Reflection photography is no different. By using a mirrored surface, you can create a stunning artistic echo of a subject, making it a great form of photography. Learn more and access tips and tricks today for those who want to create something different.

In reflection photography, we should constantly be seeking out fresh compositional angles. Finding interesting reflections to serve as a foil for the main subject is one way of achieving this – even a modest puddle can serve its purpose.  These will often offer just a partial reflection of the main subject but nevertheless can yield some tantalising results. The reflection will appear as just one of several elements supporting the main subject in the image. 

There are situations which positively encourage you to compose with the entire reflection included in the image. This requires composing with a division midway through the image ( which of course runs counter to the rule of thirds), but those of you who have confidence in your compositional  knowledge will be aware of a principle called the "golden mean" which encourages you to design your picture using a central meridian. 

The Hemispheric Cinema, Valencia.

By placing the horizon centrally, I was able to capture both this impressive example of modern architecture and its reflection in the pool, creating an interesting visual palindrome.

Prefectly Still

In order to achieve the best mirrored effects, you should be seeking conditions where there is no movement in the water. Obviously, the more shallow the water, the easier it is to achieve this. For reflection photography, the ideal time to capture perfectly still water is when we are experiencing high pressure, but even then during much of the day there is likely to be a slight breeze which will cause the surface of the water to ripple. There is, however, a reliable meteorological condition called "atmospheric decoupling" which results in absolutely calm conditions usually 40 minutes after dusk and about 30 minutes before dawn. Add to this the wonderful lighting you often get at this time of day and it truly is a win/win situation. 

The Canal Du Midi, France.

An hour before taking this shot there was a noticeable breeze and the water was quite choppy, but as dusk fell the water becalmed, offering an almost near perfect reflection

Identify your Locations

Your opportunities for identifying worthy locations for photographing reflections within the landscape are endless, once you understand the simple principle of "atmospheric  decoupling" . Aside from the myriad of puddles we see shortly after a period of rain, we all live near rivers, or pools, lakes or canals. Whilst it is difficult to capture perfect stillness when photographing the sea, once the tide recedes, it leaves in its wake countless opportunities in rock-pools or in depressions in the sand for us to explore. As these pools tend to be shallow, they can often be photographed at any time of the day. 

Flooded field, the Somerset Levels.

One of the many bonuses of winter is the flooding of water-meadows, which of course offer boundless opportunities for this particular genre of landscape photography. 

Without a Subject

Why not try photographing a reflection without including its source? This shot was taken at a well-known American  "honey-pot" location which required that I adopt a fresh approach. Perched on the edge of a cliff with a dozen other photographers I really didn't feel I was achieving anything worthwhile, but it is only as I started to move away that I noticed how impressive the rock feature I was photographing appeared when reflected in the river below. It only goes to show that even when visiting over-photographed locations it is possible to put your own spin on things. 

The Horse Shoe Overlook, Page, Arizona.

Don't always feel that you need to include the source of the reflection. 

 

"Atmospheric decoupling"

Whilst the principle of "atmospheric decoupling" is reasonably reliable, there are occasions when there is still a slight suggestion of movement on the water. That shouldn't be a reason not to take your photograph. This was taken about 50 minutes before daybreak, therefore a reasonably lengthy exposure was required which has produced this rather appealing softened reflection. Essentially all the wonderful colours evident within the landscape are faithfully reflected in the water, as indeed is some of the detail. It certainly would have been a travesty to have ignored this golden opportunity merely because the water wasn't absolutely mirror-like.  Having captured a wonderful  reflected landscape, my mind immediately turned to what paper 

I should use to produce a print, and one I regularly used is Fotospeed's fabulous Platinum Matt 280. Non- reflective yet extremely smooth, it does retain the most incredible detail.  With a high D Max, it really does suit an image like this. 

Mono Lake California pre-dawn.

Whilst the water was not absolutely calm, it was sufficiently still to allow me to capture visually attractive reflective elements. 

 

If you are looking for a paper to print our reflection images on, why not try Fotospeed's range of Metallic papers which work amazingly well with reflection images. Also check out Tim Jones' video on our Youtube channel on Metallic Papers.