Reflections in Water

The following excerpt is from Street Photography Assignments by Valerie Jardin.

ASSIGNMENT

There are many ways to make compelling photographs by using reflections. After a rainfall, set out with your camera with the intent to capture a visually strong reflection of a subject in the water.

TECHNIQUE

Millions of photo opportunities present themselves in the city after the rain…if you have a creative eye. Beautiful, shiny, glistening pavement, a surreal upside down world—all are photo ops waiting for you. Give yourself enough depth of field (f/5.6 or f/8) and watch your exposure compensation if you do not want to blow out highlights in the reflections of the sky. If your subject is abstract and upside down, pay close attention to the stepping motion and separation so that it cannot be mistaken for something else. Go play in the puddles and have fun!

TIP

Avoid flipping the photo in post-processing. Let it remain the way you saw it.

Reflections in Glass

ASSIGNMENT

Ready for some more fun with reflections on the streets? This time use windows and storefronts as your reflective surface.

TECHNIQUE

One of the tricks to this setup is not to include yourself in the reflection. You’re setting out to capture a compelling reflection of a stranger on a glass surface. I recommend you find the glass surface first, and then position yourself so as not to be visible in the frame. Pay attention to any distractions such as cars and signage reflecting on the same surface. Practice on anyone who walks by to gauge whether you’re standing at the right spot or if you should turn your camera vertically to give yourself more space. Ready? Remember to be discerning and choose a compelling subject to make the strongest possible reflection. Don’t worry so much whether they are coming or going, just the appearance of the subject is important. What does your creative eye tell you? What do you envision the strongest image to be? Be patient, and wait for the right subject to come along.

 

Reflection in a Mirror

ASSIGNMENT

Let’s step up your game and capture the reflection of a stranger in an actual mirror. For this assignment you will need to find a place like a flea market, an antique store, or possibly a barbershop.

TECHNIQUE

This exercise requires a great deal of speed. You may have to be patient to find a subject worthy of a picture but you will have to move swiftly as soon as he or she appears in the mirror. If you have enough light to work with, set your camera to shoot in aperture priority mode with enough depth of field to capture the subject and the reflection. If you are working in a dark area and need a large aperture, you may need to pre-focus on the mirror. Given the choice, it is the subject’s reflection that should be in sharp focus, not the actual person. Be creative, this is a really challenging exercise but so much fun, too!

 

These 3 street photography assignments are from Valerie Jardin’s book Street Photography Assignments.