Blog - The Element of Water and its Reflecting power
The power of reflection in landscape and cityscape photography
Water is one of our main elements and I love to work with that. Its power in photography can be seen in lakes, oceans, rivers, rain clouds and many other ways, where water is either the subject of the image or its the tool to create an even stronger atmosphere.
3 Monks in Myanmar, strolling down the river banks of Mandalay, near the Ubein Bridge
Water has a powerful quality; it can create little magnifying drops that give a glimpse of the world
You don’t always stop and look at spiderwebs, to see the details of it, as they are everywhere and are not that special for our eyes to see, but when you have the right light, the right lens and the right moment, you can find the most astonishing effects made by morning dew on the threats of spiderwebs. I call this image Jinglebells as the light and color reminds me of Christmas lights. The morning dew, anywhere in the world, can be used to play with this magical scene, created by pure nature. The spider spun its web and the fog or dew has the ability to put little drops of water on the threads, dancing and balancing as the wind blows through fields, rivers and landscapes. Capturing the light is essential for most photography and this is no exception; the morning sun rays, I used to highlight all the little water drops. This at golden hour.
beauty can be found everywhere, you just need to look
Another way of using water as a tool, for getting a great picture, is the movement of water.
For this you will need a tripod or something else to keep your camera steady. The flowing water you see here in this picture is created by the falling water in a jungle in Azoren, Portugal. It makes the image look smooth and silky, like the water is a threat of textile that you want to hold on to. Because the water is falling, the movement is very strong and therefore the effect on the water even better. When you use this method on a river, ocean or another place where the water is maybe less flowing, you would need a longer shutter time to create the right effect.
Waterfall in Azoren, Soa Miguel. The water always flows
In my work, reflections are used to create a esthetic effect, soothing for the eye
I really enjoy finding those unique spots under unique conditions, and use reflecting of water as my tool to emphasize the uniqueness in that moment and frame it. By doubling the effect, the eye keeps holding on and wants to explore more of the picture. What better place to capture the doubling, reflecting effect from the water, than from a super picturesque place such as the Kinderdijk, near Rotterdam, The Netherlands. This particular reflecting image was shot during illumination week at Kinderdijk. The old mills are lined up next to this river of water, draining the lands behind them as that was their old purpose. The line of light goes all the way into the horizon, the way old dutch painters used to paint their landscape paintings. They too used reflection in their work, showing a moment in time where the water is calm, not moving and without winds.
Like from most landscape artist, hundreds of years ago, I too use the reflection, cloudy skies and the horizon as my tools
Conclusion
In most of my work I use to look at object, subject, and scenes, and try to find the right reflection by looking for water. Next time you are out walking around, wether its in a city or in nature, you can too, find water to help you improve your photography by using its power and to create a more compelling and interesting photo.