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Photography Ideas for Reflective Surfaces

Since all cameras operate by capturing light, using reflective surfaces to augment that light is a useful technique. Reflecting light allows photographers to distort light or focus a viewer's attention on a particular object. It helps to experiment with a number of different ideas for reflective surfaces, as it will greatly expand your arsenal of photographic tricks.

Lighting
- The most useful application of reflective surfaces is to reflect light on the object the photographer wants to capture. This can be done in a number of unusual ways. You can fully illuminate a subject by setting a mirror behind the subject and the light source on the opposite side. However, adventurous photographers may want to try placing the mirror in different positions to partially illuminate the subject or focus attention on a particular part of the subject. Photographers may also experiment with several mirrors, angling them in different directions.
Reflections
- The reflective surface itself can be the subject of a photo. Lots of amateur photographers take self portraits of themselves in the mirror, but it's also fun to try angling your camera out of the picture to get a unique photograph of objects in the mirror. Similarly, it's possible to place several mirrors around the subject of your photograph and leave them in the shot. This will allow you to show different angles of the same object all at once.
Distortion
- Although mirrors are the most common reflective surface to capture, it's also possible to take photos of reflective surfaces such as windows and water. When doing this, it's important to ensure the lighting behind the partially reflective surface is not too bright or you will simply get a picture of the object behind the surface. On the other hand, photographs of semi-transparent surfaces will give your picture a distorted look. It's also possible to heighten this effect by running something through the water and quickly taking a picture.
Photo Editing
- Photographers may choose to play with reflection by using post-production effects in photo editing software. A popular trick is to take several pictures of a subject, such as a person's face. The model alters her face to display several expressions. In photo editing software, it's possible to combine the subject from one photo with the reflection from another. The completed photograph will show an impossible image of the subject in two different states at the same time.

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