Reflections on Reflections
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What can I say, I’m a sucker for reflections.
When I’m near a body of water or puddles on the street, my eyes are naturally drawn there. I’m always curious to see what kind of altered reality nature will serve up.
On the one hand, calm weather provides smooth, life-like reflections. In most of those cases, I like to include both the subject and its reflection in the image. The resulting symmetry is pleasing to the eye.
But on the other hand, ripples on the water’s surface can make for some interesting painterly effects and abstract images. And in those situations, I’ll often opt to capture only the reflection.
Right before the arrival of the colder weather and the partial freezing of waterways, there were a few days when I had the chance to capture some images showcasing reflections.
During a lunchtime outing in Pointe-du-Chêne, NB, I drove by the bridge pictured at the top of this post as I’d done many times before. However, on this occasion the water was calm, and I had my camera by my side, so I pulled over. I tried framing it a few different ways, but what you’re seeing was my favourite. The only thing missing was a pedestrian, but I didn’t have to wait long for one to walk by.
The images above and below are of pilings at the Pointe-du-Chêne Yacht Club to which the marina’s wooden docks are secured in the summertime. During the off-season, the docks are removed from the water. I chose to only capture the reflections. I particularly liked the minimalist aspect of the images and how the rippled water produced a serrated effect to the pilings’ reflections.
I really liked the reflection below. Not just because it’s mine — as I was taking the photograph — but because it’s subtle and mysterious. I also like the contrast in the image and how the reflection is framed by the porthole window. The raindrops on the window’s surface are a bonus, although they are not really noticeable unless you click on the image to view its larger version.
The next picture was taken in Richibuto, NB in the summer of 2020. I remember how I was immediately captivated by the primary colours in the reflection. I also vividly remember how quickly I needed to act as I was being attacked by mosquitos while snapping a few images! I rotated the original photograph 180 degrees to have the green band at the bottom. We’re used to seeing grass in the lower part of the frame, and having some green at the top produced a certain dissonance I didn’t care for.
