Reflection Photography Project

[Tom_Chettoe]

I've had an idea for a project/album/series that has the working title of "Reflections and Ghosts" the project will mainly consist of the subject or subjects being reflected in various objects and items, from a simple mirrror to a puddle and shop windows/glass, metalic surfaces etc.

So my main question here is this:

1) Do I need to use flash?

I know this sounds like a stupid question but it has a basing in some form of logic as I came to the conclusion that 9/10 this will either over expose the reflective surfaces, or over expose the subject being reflected.

2) Are there any other lighting issues I may face when taking reflective shots, do i need to over or under expose to compensate?


Also if anybody knows of similar projects that have been undertaken in the past and can either name drop or link me to them they would be gratefully recieved.

 

[lareneg]

If you fired the flash directly at the reflective surface, you would see the flash as a large white spot in the reflection. You could experiment with firing the flash in other directions to see if the reflection of the flash off of other objects gives a pleasing effect - otherwise you could try it with a regular torch being shone at an angle and see if that helps.

Of course, if you get a pleasing effect without the flash then there's no reason to use it.

 

[Tom_Chettoe]

Thanks Julian I'll have to experiment and see what works =]

 

[HoppyUK]

I don't think that you will necessarily need flash any more, or less, than you would normally. Use the flash to add light where you want it.

Bear in mind that angle of incidence equals angle of reflection. That is, light bounces off a surface at the same angle it strikes it.

And with focusing, if you have a subject 3m from a mirror, and the camera say 2m from the mirror, the subject distance for focusing and depth of field purposes will be 5m.