Series: Reflections

This is a series of articles that feature reflections, or sometimes the absence of reflection.

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the earliest use of the word reflection (sometimes spelt reflexion) was by Chaucer in 1384:

As yf folkys complexions Make hem dreme of reflexions.

CHAUCER H. Fame I. 22

The word is used to indicate “A reflexive influence on the mind.”

Later on, the word became more commonly used to indicate an image reflected off a shiny surface like a mirror, or the return of a beam of light, heat, energy, sound etc. from hitting a surface. But it’s still used to indicate a sign, or result of careful thought.

Reflection is of course a core aspect of photography, and the basis of many focusing mechanisms inside cameras. Reflection is also a bane and boon for photographers, as stray reflections hitting lens elements can cause artefacts in photographs, sometimes desirable, but often not.

In this series, we explore the use of reflection in photography. Photographing reflections sometimes reflect a desire to see things differently, or perhaps to evoke a certain perspective, mood, or atmosphere. Reflections are of course an integral part of photographing modern architecture such as skyscrapers due to liberal use of chrome or glass materials. When we photograph an object in front of a mirror, or a water surface, we often get the object itself juxtaposed with a not quite perfect doppelgänger of itself.

Reflection is often used in “photographer selfies” - capturing the exact moment a photographer is clicking on the shutter, reflected off a surface.

This series is a collection of Photos of the Day featuring reflection.