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Posts Tagged ‘Reflections’

Reflections: China’s Lost Lakes Resurface in Urban Beijing

26 Jul

[ By Steph in Art & Installation & Sound. ]

China Lost Lakes Installation 1

As China has transformed from a largely agricultural society to an industrial superpower, vastly changing its landscape with both construction equipment and the unintended effects of climate change, over 240 of its lakes have disappeared. In less than half a century, so much of the nation’s natural beauty and tranquility has been lost. A project called The Lost Lakes brings it back temporarily in the illusory form of lake-shaped mirrors installed in the middle of urban Beijing.

China Lost Lakes Installation 2

The lost lakes haven’t just impacted China’s ecology; rapid urbanization has caused severe droughts and water shortages across the country. The problem affects every Chinese citizen. The Lost Lakes installation brings this problem home to city dwellers in the form of customized mirrors mimicking the reflection of water in unexpected places.

China Lost Lakes Installation 3

Fifteen craftsman spent six weeks creating mirrors with curved edges that fit together like puzzle pieces. They’re designed to stand up to weather and curious onlookers, and can be transported and reassembled in a new location.

China Lost Lakes Installation 4

Over 350,000 people have visited the installation to ‘reflect’ upon what the loss of natural bodies of water means to them (or maybe just to gaze at themselves and the skyscrapers around them.)

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[ By Steph in Art & Installation & Sound. ]

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Posted in Creativity

 

Reflections on Shoot For Love

19 Apr

I have been spending a lot of time on the Shoot for Love project lately and haven’t been shooting much, ironically enough. If you’d like to participate in the latest …
Jake Garn Photography

 
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Reflections with Samantha

04 Feb

Samantha and I decided to explore the SLC Photocollective and see if we could come up with something original in one of Utah’s most photographed locations. Judge the results for …
Jake Garn Photography

 
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How To Photograph Reflections In Water

16 Nov

One of my favourite things to do when I travel is to go on a quest to find a body of water that has a reflection of a landmark.

Photographing a reflection creates a unique image of an often photographed subject by adding interest and depth to your photograph.

The next time you travel add these to your shot list and come home with a set of dynamic images to show off your trip.

City Lights at Twilight

When the sky is that cobalt blue colour before night arrives, and lights from nearby buildings reflect off the water, magic happens.

Take this example of a waterfront hotel on a summer evening when the marina in the foreground was full of boats. Just after sunset the coloured lights on the exterior of the hotel reflected off the cobalt blue water making a very energetic image.

The Empress Hotel, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

The Empress Hotel, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

Calm Lake in the Morning

When you get up early in the morning water on a lake will often be flat calm making a perfect reflection. Capturing a perfect reflection is harder than it sounds because any amount of wind at all will cause ripples and blur the surface of the water.

If you can find a lake in the mountains there will be a better chance of finding still waters in the morning. Your shot will be even better if the morning’s first rays light up the peaks of the mountain which is reflected in the lake.

When you scout your location, take a compass so you can find a subject in the west that will light up when the sun rises. Then put some water between you and that subject and you have the ingredients for a great shot.

Convict Lake, California

Convict Lake, California

The calm lake shot is a good opportunity to break the rule of thirds and go for perfect symmetry in your image. Put the horizon line in the middle of the frame and include the same amount of subject and reflection.

You want to avoid direct light on the water because that causes glare. The best situation is when you have a colourful object that is has direct light on it and that subject is reflected in water which is in the shade. Then the reflection will contain saturated colours and no glare.

Not So Calm Lake

Ripples in the water are not necessarily bad. It just produces a different effect. You can get this effect by waiting for the wind to come up a little or just by using a longer exposure which allows time for the water to move while the shutter is open. Either way it will create a more abstract feel by adding texture to the water.

Convict Lake, California

Convict Lake, California

The Ocean at Sunrise or Sunset

Obviously you will not get a perfect reflection when you photograph the ocean because the water is always moving. But it will still reflect the colour of the sky and if you get a sunrise or sunset with great colour you can multiply that effect by including the reflected light in your composition.

Tybee Island, near Savannah, Georgia

Tybee Island, near Savannah, Georgia

Birds

Woodstork at the Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge, Florida.

Woodstork at the Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge, Florida.

I love capturing perfect bird reflections. They can be hard to pull off because you need a number of things to come together to make the image work.

  • First, there can be no wind at all.
  • Second, you need great light (as always).
  • Third, you need a bird (ok that was pretty obvious but easier said than done).

To make this image of a woodstork I had to go back to the location before sunrise three mornings in a row before I got still water. Then I had to find a position first, remain very still, and hope a bird would come. If the bird is there first, and you try to approach, it doesn’t usually work out.

I like images where the bird is moving a bit so there are little ripples around its legs that define the surface of the water.

Reeds

Look for reeds or other grasses sticking out of the water that can make a great abstract image. If it were not for the lilly pads in this image, it might be hard to tell where the surface of the water is.

Green Point Pond, Gros Morne National Park, Newfoundland, Canada

Green Point Pond, Gros Morne National Park, Newfoundland, Canada

Just the Reflection

The subject receiving the direct light does not necessarily need to be in the frame. Interesting compositions can be found if you leave the main subject out of the frame and only include the reflection in the shot.

In this image of Half Dome in Yosemite National Park, the direct light falling on the dome was very harsh so I decided to leave it out of the frame and only include the reflection to create a more abstract impressionist feel.

Reflection of Half Dome, Yosemite National Park, California

Reflection of Half Dome, Yosemite National Park, California

To go even more abstract, find reflections of colourful subjects in rippled water. Don’t worry if you cannot identify what the main subject is.

Kayak Reflection

Kayak Reflection

This image is reflections from a stack of kayaks on a dock at a marina. The ripples are caused by fish swimming under the surface.

Fall Foliage in New Hamshire

Fall Foliage in New Hamshire

This image was made in New Hampshire during the very colourful display of fall foliage.

It was a windy day, so photographing the trees wasn’t working out very well. I decided to go for the abstract look by photographing the reflection of the trees in the water which was rippled from the high winds.

Tips

Remember your choices: the subject and its reflection; just the reflection; still water; and blurred water.

Direct light on water creates glare – you want the direct light to fall on your subject which is then reflected in water which is in the shade. If there is glare, you can use a polarizing filter to reduce or even remove it.

Try using a graduated neutral density filter. Usually the reflection is a couple of stops darker than the main subject so you can use a graduated neutral density filter to even things out. If you don’t’ have one, you can always try the digital equivalent in Lightroom or Photoshop. But remember the reflection part of the image should still be slightly darker. If you make it as bright as the main subject the image will not look right.

Use a low angle to maximize the amount of reflection in the frame.

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.

How To Photograph Reflections In Water



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Reflecting on Reflections

04 Oct

As a photographer and fan of photography I’ve noticed one thing that seems inescapable, a person with a camera can seldom resist taking a reflection photo. You need not look very far as its unlikely you can browse a photo forum and avoid seeing a photo containing a reflection. There is something transcending about seeing the beauty of nature times two.

When Mother Nature graces me with a sight of amazing beauty I’m filled with hope and peace. At that moment such feelings seem boundless if not infinite in nature and yet when that very scene is reflected the visual awe and emotions are amplified all the more. Reflections have long held a special place in the heart of man. I like to think where we see the best of nature, we look to see the best of ourselves. Perhaps that is why so many people are drawn to photographing reflections.

A lake is a landscape’s most beautiful and expressive feature. It is Earth’s eye; looking into which the beholder measures the depth of his own nature.
– Henry David Thoreau

Photographer in Front of a Yosemite Falls Reflection - Yosemite National Park, California

Photographer in Front of a Yosemite Falls Reflection – Yosemite National Park, California

Technorati Tags: photography, nature, landscape, reflection, stock photo, Yosemite, National Park, California

Copyright Jim M. Goldstein, All Rights Reserved

Reflecting on Reflections

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Microsoft Word 2010 – Fancy Up Your Text with Reflections and Tweak the Effects

30 Aug

Have certain text in a Word 2010 document appear to reflect on a shiny surface.

One way to have text stand out in a Microsoft Word 2010 document is to make it appear to be placed on top of a glassy surface.

The “Text Reflection” effect is easy to use and you can select from one of nine default reflections. Or, spend all day configuring the reflection size, distance from the actual text, transparency, and blur. …

Read more at MalekTips.
New Computer and Technology Help and Tips – MalekTips.Com

 
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