by Editor Kimberly
Edited and published by Yvette Depaepe, the 26th of August 2022

'La Défense reflections' by Daniel Viñe

Capturing reflections in water is a common technique employed in photography, probably mostly in landscapes, but I stand corrected. The practice is as timeless as photography itself and there’s nothing new to learn here for most.

Living on the Island of Newfoundland, descriptively referred in the tourism ads as “The Far East of the Western World”, we’re trapped out in the cold, windy North Atlantic Ocean. It’s a rare day that the wind is not howling, and rain almost always falls sideways. Watching people navigate the weather with an umbrella is its own form of entertainment.  The coniferous trees along the coastline grow stunted and bent over, nature’s own bonsai. To say it can be a harsh environment to live in is an understatement.  Ever form of weather known to mankind occurs here, and sometimes all in the same day. And yet we stay and those who visit vow to return, some even to live. Go figure.

Perhaps that’s why I find I’m attracted to images that are composed with water that is so still and calm it is almost unnerving, the calm before the storm.

Mirrored scenes create an interesting “echo” effect that duplicates the scene across the horizontal midline often throwing the “rule of thirds” out the proverbial window. Simple and complex images can be composed utilizing this technique.

Images with symmetrical balance have the subject and the reflection share equal halves of the frame, using a reflective surface, generally still water, to perfectly mirror a scene or subject balanced along both sides of the mid-line. Most images I’ve found utilizing this technique are composed in a landscape orientation, images composed in portrait orientation are often simpler and isolate a solitary subject as opposed to capturing a more complex scene. 

The effect creates an abstract simplified shot where one wonders which side is really up, some images executed so exquisitely that they could potentially be displayed right side up or upside down in my opinion.

'...Kirkjufell' by Raymond Hoffmann

'Angelfishes' by Siv Wester

'Reflections #2' by Vedran Sminderovac

In some, only the tiniest of a ripple differentiate the split image from the subject above the horizontal and the reflection below it. 

'Bolivia salt desert after the rain' by Guy Nesher

'Polderlandscape in reflection' by Huib Limberg

'After the solstice' by Stefano Scappazzoni

Images captured with this technique create an atmosphere and mood that evoke a sense of calm and peacefulness. I’ve discovered some exquisite images created by members employing symmetrical balance across architectural, wildlife, and landscape categories.

One of my favourite images in this collection is “Magic Moment”.
 

'Magic moment' by Joaquin Forner Rodriguez

It documents a murmuration of starlings and is a one in a million shot.  An instant taken with everything coming together at the same time to create this mesmerizing and stunning image. The still water and the birds flocking in unison and with camera in hand, the photographer captured a perfectly timed and executed image. Sublime.

Some images created with a mirrored reflection take on a painterly effect looking more like a painting than a photograph. 

'Midnight at Heather Meadows' by James K. Papp

n/t by Marco Zambon

'Reflections at Sunset' by Joan Mercader Illera

'autumn reflection' by Udo Dittmann

'Minimal mood' by Jassi Oberai

Bird images captured with this technique hit the mark as fine art images. 

'purple sunset' by Anna Cseresnjes

'Reflections' by Mauro Montuori

'Reflections' by LM Meng

'Standing in a mirror' by Greg Forcey

'Alone' by Zhecho Planinski

And these are equally sublime images utilizing mirrored reflections I’d like to showcase in this article. 

'The tranquillity of the lake' by Judith Rosenthal

'Reflections at Lion City_I' by Win Tun Naing

'Reflection at dawn' by Oscar Berrueta

'Reflections in the Mosque' by Massimo Cuomo

'Misty trees' by Andreas Christensen

'Reflections' by Mahendra Bakle

'Reflections' by Omer Gencal

'Lost' by Ales Komovec

'The Eye' by Salvatore Giallombardo