Reflections

Every once in awhile, some oddball reflection will catch my eye. That attraction might be due to one or more of the following:

• The bright, shinny surface on which a reflection usually appears
• Seeing the reflected object from an angle or location where it’s not normally seen
• Seeing the reflected object being distorted in some intriguing manner
• The added interest often found when both object and reflection are seen together
• The two-dimension reflection appearing three-dimensional

The photographs below illustrate different reflection types (click on photos to enlarge).

This is a reflection of a skylight inside a shopping mall. Whenever I’m wandering through this mall, I’ll usually pass by this area. Because the reflection appears to have depth, and if I’m not paying attention, I’ll sometimes mistake it for a hole in the floor - something I need to avoid. It’s fun standing near the reflection, trying to see it not as three-dimensional, but as the flat surface it really is.

​I was drawn to how this relatively new glass building was reflecting a much older building from across the street.

Looking at shiny polished metal like this, you realize that you’re not really seeing the pots themselves. What you’re actually viewing are reflections of everything surrounding the pots. It’s the same phenomenon as looking at yourself in a mirror. You’re not seeing the mirror - only your reflection.

​It’s really the reflections that define this school hallway. The exterior light coming in through the doors and windows, given a fairly long camera exposure setting, would provide enough illumination for a picture to be taken. However, it’s the reflections on the lockers, walls, and floors that provide shape to this photograph. Without them, the image probably would be flat and dull.

I placed these kids’ blocks on a shiny conference table. It was only after several viewings that I noticed the reflection spells, in upper and lower case letters, “herb”.