Water Reflections in Landscape Photography

Using water reflections in landscape photography composition is a popular subject, but careful thought is required to obtain the best results.

For example, the use of water as a mirror is one of the top techniques that you, as an aspiring landscape photographer, will want to master.

In particular, water reflections in the landscape can transform an ordinary scene into something truly magical.

Reflections entice your eye into the image and provide an element of depth especially where a perfect reflection is on view or where there is a slight ripple across the surface.

Best locations to find the perfect water reflection

Lakes and Lochs

These offer you the perfect landscape to capture the classic double vision example of a crystal clear reflection mirrored in tranquil water.

Early morning is often the best time of day when conditions are calm and flat and the light is soft.

The addition of an early morning mist can add extra atmospheric mood.

Subjects such as mountains, colourful autumn trees and landmarks such as churches and chapels can provide you with the opportunity to master the perfect mirrored reflection across a lake or loch.

The Coast

Capturing reflections of coastal water is one of the most pleasing aspects of photographing coastlines. Reflections add real creativity to your images but it can take you a bit of time and practice to master the perfection reflection.

One of the best times for reflections at the coast is in the still light of sunrise or sunset. The light is clearer and the wind is lighter.

Water left in rock pools is more likely to be calm and ripple free and capturing reflections overall brings clarity and quietness to the final image.

Harbours and boats can be used as focal points for reflections and can be silhouetted against a strong sky at sunset.

Skyline Reflections

During the ‘blue hour‘ skyline reflections such as a city or town across the coastline or bordering a lake can create a striking alternative composition.

Other good subjects for skyline reflections include landmarks such as bridges and city walls. These will provide strong illuminated leading lines as dusk falls.

Top tips for shooting successful reflections

The use of water reflections in landscape photography is not as straightforward as it seems and you will need some guidance on how to shoot successful reflections in all types of landscapes:

• Keep it level – Always use a tripod to keep the camera completely steady and one with a built-in spirit level will make this easier. If your tripod doesn’t have a built in level, you can attach a single bubble level to your camera’s hotshoe.
• Get your horizon lines straight – Many newer digital cameras feature built-in electronic horizon lines to help you achieve a perfectly level horizon. You can also use the LiveView settings on your camera and it also helps if you place the horizon in the middle of the frame.
• Use a polarising filter – To reduce unwanted glare and surface highlights on the water some reflections can be enhanced by using this type of filter. However, practice first by rotating the filter until you can see the best result but be aware that this may not work for all shots. This is because the polariser also has the effect of reducing reflections in the water. If you want the reflections to remain, turn the polariser ring back half a rotation until the reflection reappears yet the sky remains darker.
• Use a ND filter – To increase exposure times a ND filter will help you improve reflections when the water has too much movement as it is often difficult to produce a flawless reflection if the water is not completely still.
• Use a ND grad filter – As reflections are darker than the main subject you will need to control the exposure between the sky and reflection in the water and a ND grad filter is ideal for this.
• Shoot at a low angle – To see more of the reflection try to lower the shooting angle so set the tripod up with the legs at the minimum height and shoot from the water’s edge.

Water reflections in landscape photography – top tips

If the wind happens to increase slightly it is still possible to get some interesting water reflections in your landscape photography, as it will produce some movement in the scene and you can master a more abstract result.

Here are some top tips for capturing movement in reflections:

• Leave out the main subject altogether – A distorted reflection caused by the ripples can produce some stunning results and this effect can be increased by leaving out the main subject from the frame and focusing entirely on the reflection.
• Use the colours of trees to create a colourful abstract – Autumn trees by a lakeside are the perfect back drop as the colours will be reflected in the water and if there is slight movement in the water it will help to create a captivating effect.
• Concentrate entirely on the finer details – Focus on details such as grasses and reeds reflecting in the water and this will result in an even more graphic and abstract image.
• An alternative option is to create a panoramic reflection using your camera’s panorama mode and then stitch a series of frames together in post production for the ultimate panoramic image.

Mastering the techniques of using water reflections in landscape photography composition is one of the most rewarding aspects of landscape photography.

If you have been inspired to create some stunning shots and want further tips and advice look out for our future articles on how to create movement in the landscape and autumn landscapes and water.