Reflecting on Reflections

N. State Street - Chicago (f/10 1/200s 17mm)

Photography is not just about the view behind the lens. A wonderful photo actually begins before you pick up your camera and the inspiration hits you... sometimes literally.

During this particular walk down State Street last summer in Chicago, it was a beautiful blue-sky moment. This accounted for my surprise when water nearly hit my head in large drops. "Nope, not a bird", I thought. It was, in fact, window washers dangling from ropes tied to the top of a 30 (?) story building.

As if that bit of aero-acrobatics wasn't amazing enough, the reflections in the windows were stunning. I love urban landscapes with large glass reflections, because they make you stop to consider what you're looking at - and what it is you really see - and feel.


Of course I had to stop and capture the moment.

Reflections are great fun to photograph, as the images play with your mind and force you to think about what you're not seeing. It's a bit like looking at the blank "whitespace" that a painter left untouched, or the hole that a sculptor leaves behind. 

So while the tourists all snap quick, predictable shots, I like to find what most people walk right past - and see if I can see something unexpected.

Crissy Field, San Francisco (f/8 1/1250s 90mm)

If you have captured some great unexpected reflections, I'd love to see what you saw! Feel free to post a comment with a link, if you'd like to share your own reflection on reflections...

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Photography Tip:

Start with your eyes, not your camera...