The Photography and Lightroom Blog

Reflections can be seen in the water, of course. But, there are other ways to get reflections. Here are a few ideas to get you started 1. A large black shiny tile 2. A mirror 3. Windows, especially at night 4. Glass surfaces 5. Sunglasses 6. Puddles 7. Ice 8. Crystal Ball 9. Software As you can see there are lots of choices other than a huge still body of water. This is excellent for you if you live far from the water. Black Tile/Granite I went to a flooring showroom and bought one big 2’ X 2’ black tile for $12.00. There is enough room to do some really cool reflection photos on small objects. Maybe you have a black granite counter or tile floors that reflect well. My favorite subject to shoot on tiles are flowers. White works great because the contrast is excellent. You can use any kind of lighting you have for these photos. Personally, I use the utility clip lamps with the LED light bulbs, because they don’t get hot. Point the light right on the subject ...

Sunsets, sunrises, water, beaches and boats can make, or very interesting and amazing photos.   You can take photos while the sun is setting, of course, and these can be beautiful.  However, there is a time of day called the “golden hour” and the “blue hour”.  One time I went to take sunset photos with my mentor, we took the usual shots and then we were all talking for a bit.  After about 20 minutes he said to us, “you see, all the people have left.  YOU are going to be the ones that get the shot!”  He was so right. The light is so much easier to photograph, you get a great glow and besides that, there will be less people to take out of the photo if you do not want them in there.   Even if you do not live where there is a beach your photos can and will still benefit from using these times of day to your advantage in your photography. So what time of day are these “magical” hours and what settings should you use? In p...