{"id":86789,"date":"2022-09-12T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-09-12T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/?p=86789"},"modified":"2022-09-13T13:25:45","modified_gmt":"2022-09-13T17:25:45","slug":"mirror-photography-ideas-tips-and-examples","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.adorama.com\/alc\/mirror-photography-ideas-tips-and-examples\/","title":{"rendered":"Mirror Photography Ideas, Tips, and Examples"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

One of the most exciting aspects of moving through our photography journey is finding new tools and techniques to use. They boost our creativity and help us avoid the habit of constantly repeating ourselves in our imagery. The best tools are easy to use and offer diverse applications. One such creative tool that we can use to great effect is a mirror or any similarly reflective surface, including windows, screens, prisms, or even water. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most of these items are readily available and easy to use. All of them can help us produce incredible results. Use the following mirror photography ideas, tips, and examples to enhance your creative portraits, wedding imagery, selfies, and more. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mirror Photography Ideas, Tips, and Examples<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
  1. Clean the Mirror or Reflective Surface<\/a><\/li>
  2. Use Your Subjects as Foreground Objects in Their Own Portraits<\/a><\/li>
  3. Conceal Unwanted Elements in the Scene<\/a><\/li>
  4. Add Off-Camera Flash to Highlight Your Subject<\/a><\/li>
  5. Create a Key Light and Rim Light with a Single Light Source<\/a><\/li>
  6. Enhance Storytelling for Travel<\/a><\/li>
  7. Tell More of the Story in a Single Frame<\/a><\/li>
  8. Capture Symmetry<\/a><\/li>
  9. Create a Kaleidoscope Effect with a Smartphone and a Prism<\/a><\/li>
  10. Flip the Reflection in Post<\/a><\/li>
  11. Add More Reflections<\/a><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Clean the Mirror<\/h2>\n\n\n
    \n
    \"mirror
    Photo by Karolina Grabowska<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

    Wait. Before you pick up your camera, survey the scene. If the mirror or reflective surface you\u2019re photographing is cleanable, then by all means, clean it. You can save yourself a lot of time in post by quickly cleaning the mirror\u2019s surface before you start snapping photos. Paying attention to details like this can benefit all of your shoots, whether or not you\u2019re using mirrors. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In general, you should always try to ensure that your backdrop is free from clutter. Otherwise, you\u2019ll wind up wasting time cloning out details that could have easily been removed beforehand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Use Your Subjects as Foreground Objects in Their Own Portraits<\/h2>\n\n\n
    \n
    \"Groom
    Photo by Lin & Jirsa Photography<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

    This is one of the mirror photography ideas you\u2019ll find especially useful when capturing bride prep or groom portraits as a wedding photographer. Placing your subjects in the foreground and shooting over their shoulders provides an easy way to add depth to the image and it draws the viewer\u2019s focus right to your subject in the mirror. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In the mirror portrait above, you\u2019ll notice we\u2019ve actually stacked several compositional elements. For example, the groom\u2019s placement also satisfies the rule of thirds<\/a>. The bright and airy style complements the overall happy tone and excitement that the image means to convey. All of these elements work together to create a more impactful and visually compelling photo.<\/p>\n\n\n

    \n
    \"cropping
    Photos by cottonbro<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

    Here are a couple of creative examples that illustrate different ways to crop the over-the-shoulder mirror portrait.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Conceal Unwanted Elements in the Scene<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    We can use different reflective surfaces like mirrors, prisms, and even smartphones to help conceal unwanted elements in the scene. At the same time, the reflections can also enhance the image\u2019s visual appeal. Let\u2019s look at some examples.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Prism Photography Ideas<\/h3>\n\n\n
    \n
    \"mirror
    Photo by SLR Lounge<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

    While not technically a mirror, the reflective properties of prisms make them effective tools for the purposes stated above. For example, check out the wedding photo above that I captured using a prism during groom prep. The reflection on the top of the image transformed the scene and made an otherwise mundane ceiling look more interesting. This allowed me to shoot a wider environmental shot that can open up storytelling options when designing a blog spread or album. Here\u2019s another example below from the same session.<\/p>\n\n\n

    \n
    \"Mirror
    Photo by SLR Lounge<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

    Follow these steps when using a prism as part of your new arsenal of mirror photography ideas:<\/p>\n\n\n\n