The Concepts: Reflections

Korean War Memorial, Washington DC

Many of my favorite pieces involve a reflection of some kind: windows, water, even the smooth granite walls of the Korean War and Vietnam Veterans Memorials.  Like a less vain variation on the myth of Narcissus, the reflections seem to force us to stop and take an introspective moment for ourselves. 

On the technical side of things, reflections can be tricky: you have to be careful to catch the light at just the right angle to minimize glare and maximize the impact of your image.  If ever there was a time to turn off your flash, this is it: using a flash will overexpose your subject and add back all that glare you sought to avoid when you positioned yourself for the shot in the first place. 

Edenton Sound, NC

 Moving on to the compositional side of things, you can let your creativity loose with this concept.  A reflection is an inherent dichotomy of what we see versus what we think we see.  On water, the reflected image is often distorted by the waves and currents of the surface, creating tension and movement in your work.  

Facade of Solow Building, NYC

In windows, you have a reversal - usually a mirror image - that puts an unfamiliar twist on something otherwise urbane and pedestrian.   It takes a somewhat interesting building and turns it into a very interesting city scape.  It salvages an otherwise dismally overcast day by concentrating that light into one space, capturing the glints and shadows of the sun and the clouds for you.

It's part of training your eye to find the shot in your surroundings; it's about not just looking at, but looking up and off to the side and maybe even through.  

"Reflections" - atrium of Museo de Reina Sofia, Madrid