30 Sep
2010

Posted in: Adirondacks, Autumn, Tech Tips
By Ian Plant    3 Comments

Fall Photo Tip #1: Reflections

Last week I posted an entry on the Outdoor Photographer blog listing Top 5 Tips for Autumn Photography. I thought I’d spend some time here on my personal photoblog exploring more fully some of these tips. Let’s start with my favorite: autumn reflections.

"Autumn, Reflected" - Adirondack Mountains

Sunny weather is the key to successful reflection photos. Angle of sunlight is critical as well: the foliage that is reflected must be lit by the sun, whereas the water and any rocks therein must be in shadow. Early morning or late in the afternoon often work best, as at these times you are most likely to get the proper mix. Also, try changing your angle as well—climbing up or down a riverbank can often change the way reflections look (or eliminate them altogether), and sometimes a simple step or two to the right or left can line up a particularly colorful reflection over an attractive set of rapids or river rocks.  

Here’s why you want reflected foliage to be sunlit and the rest of the scene to be in shade. Bright light on foliage ensures that reflections are bright and colorful. If you have lots of yellows, oranges, and reds on the trees, you’ll end up with beautiful warm tones reflected in water and on wet surfaces. Objects in shade (such as river rocks and rapids), which are not at the right angle to reflect foliage, are lit only by light reflecting from the blue sky above, rendering them blue. By mixing the two types of light, warm and cool, you get a lovely blend of contrasting colors.

Experiment with white balance until you find a setting that optimizes reds, yellows, and oranges, yet at the same time retains some of the blues as well. If you are shooting raw, you can experiment after the fact in the comfort of your own home, as changing white balance during the raw conversion process doesn’t affect image quality. Using the white balance slider found in most raw converters, try the Daylight setting (approx. 5500) or slightly cooler (I sometimes go as low as 4500) to get the right look.   

A polarizer filter to make your autumn reflection photos pop, but avoid full polarization, which removes reflections. Partial polarization enhances the colors in your reflection scene. As you approach full polarization, you will notice that often the overall warmth of the image increases, as you lose some of the blues reflecting off of wet surfaces. Look to find an amount of polarization that enhances warm colors without significantly reducing the blues.

Use a telephoto zoom lens to create tight-cropped images. Try to create compositions that feature a pleasing arrangement and juxtaposition of colors surrounding an attractive set of rapids or river rocks. A 70-200mm lens will often get you close enough, although a 100-400mm is even better. With reflection photos, abstract and impressionistic images often work best, so zooming in tight on just a few key details can make all the difference.

Because you are working with moving water, consider using longer shutter speeds to create motion blur. A half-second or longer will give your images a dreamy, impressionistic look, merging and swirling colors and creating a silky look in the water. Experiment freely until you get the effect you want. And above all, have fun! 

Technical specs: Canon 1Ds Mark II camera, 50-500mm lens, ISO 100, f/16, 1 second, polarizer filter. 

More From Ian Plant Dreamscapes

• Reflections in The Tarn, Acadia National Park
• Fall Photo Tip #3: Look for autumn intimates
• Fall Photo Tip #2: Zoom in on autumn details

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About Ian Plant  (275 Posts)

Ian Plant's photographs and instructional articles have appeared in a number of books, calendars, and magazines, including Outdoor Photographer and Popular Photography. Ian writes a regular blog column for Outdoor Photographer online, and he is the author of numerous instructional eBooks and digital processing tutorials. Ian leads several photo tours each year.