Experiment with different focal lengths to see how they affect your photo and the subjects in it. The focal length you use can have a great impact on the final image. Tip #9: Shoot Wide and Tight for Unique Results It’s worth noting that ripply water works well for distorting the subject and maximizing the abstract effect, especially if you crop the frame and minimize the context clues that viewers might get from other areas of the image. The area around the reflection typically falls out of focus, and with the orientation of the image reversed, even recognizable objects can look unusual. Doing so completely changes the viewer’s perspective and understanding of what they’re seeing. Tip #8: Flip (and Crop) the Images to Create Abstract Artįraming your subject in a water reflection can make for interesting, abstract art, especially if you flip the image. On the other hand, you may be using the reflection to highlight a couple standing off in the distance, which would require you to get lower and closer to the water source in order to find the couple in the reflection. When shooting a landscape image, for example, photographers generally try to create as much symmetry as possible and perfectly mirror the top and bottom portions of the frame. With water reflection photography, finding and shooting from the right angle is key. These filters also help reduce the amount of glare in the reflection, which typically translates to a sharper image. Polarizing filters (or ND filters) will allow you to slow your shutter speed under brighter lighting conditions this can prove especially helpful if the water you’re using for reflection is choppy (as we discussed earlier). Tip #6: Use a Polarizing Filter (or ND Filter) to Reduce Glare While it IS possible to take amazing photos under the midday sun (despite the popular notion to avoid shooting at noon because of harsh shadows and so on), having the sun directly overhead increases your chances of getting too much sun glare in the shot. Ideally, you should aim for a sunrise session for calmer waters and favorable lighting, or else try to capture your images an hour or two before sunset. By extension, this means we need to focus on the water reflection and not other areas in the frame in order to capture tack sharp images. Since we’re using the reflection to draw focus to our subject, we need to ensure our subject is in focus. It also helps to shoot in calm conditions for the water. These settings are ideal if your goal includes capturing as much detail as possible in the reflection. Tip #3: Use Fast Shutter and/or Narrow Aperture for Sharper ReflectionsĪ fast shutter speed and narrow aperture (f/8-f/22) will give you the best chance of capturing a sharp water reflection photograph. If you decide to significantly slow your shutter speed, you’ll want to use a tripod to minimize camera shake. To compensate, you can stop down your aperture, which we’ll cover in the next tip. Keep in mind, however, that the slower your shutter speed, the less sharp your reflection will be, unless of course the water is perfectly still. Use a slow shutter speed (also known as shutter drag) to capture a smooth reflection, especially in choppy (ripply) water. Tip #2: Slow Your Shutter Speed for Artistic Effect With a smartphone, you can usually select the reflected area and get a decent exposure. The exception here would be capturing water reflection photography with your smartphone camera. Instead, set your camera to Manual Mode and base your exposure on the darker areas within the reflection. In Auto Mode, cameras typically underexpose the reflected (or mirror image) area, as it usually registers as one of the darker areas in the frame. Don’t worry, it’s not complicated, and you can use this technique for a number of purposes, from concealing distracting elements in a scene to adding balance and symmetry to an image, or even revealing elements you wouldn’t otherwise see (such as overhead lights, treetops, etc.) without shooting on a wide angle lens.Īfter you master this technique, you’ll discover the results far outweigh the effort. Water reflection photography uses water to mirror part of the frame and create an artistic, abstract photo.
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