WE are experiencing unpredictable weather lately due to the prolonged monsoon season and this is the perfect time to capture the dramatic landscape.
You can use water to create photos with wonderful mirror effects.
Add this to the dramatic effect of the skies after the rain or different hues of colours during sunrise when light is filtered through the clouds to get photos that will delight viewers.
So, grab your camera and start hunting puddles of water or still water surface (pond or lake) around your area and turn ordinary images into a work of art.
Perfect or mirror-like reflection is always captured early in the morning at zero ground wind. Early morning light directed straight to the subject creates a serene shadow effect to a calm water surface. Place the horizon in the middle of your frame to create a symmetric image and if possible, include the foreground to add a sense of texture to the reflection. Mirror-like reflection of Situgunung, Sukabumi in Indonesia.
2. SHOOT FROM EVERY POSSIBLE ANGLE: Use your creative imagination and try shooting from various angles. The right angle captures the right light that showcases reflection at its most obvious.
Reflection from high angle, Masjid Jamek Al-Rahimah, Kuala Kubu Baru, Selangor.
3. FOCUS AND EXPOSURE: The depth of field is important in photographing water surface reflection. Choose a high aperture number of f/9 and above. The subject and its reflection need to look as if they are a part of each other. Take a few trial and error shots focusing at the centre. Focus on the subject and later at the reflection so that you have choices. Be extra careful on exposure, keep it well balanced to ensure enough details are captured.
Well focused subjects and its reflection, Sunda Kelapa Harbour, Jakarta.
4. FILTER: Add texture to reflection by integrating some details under the water surface. To do that, you need a polariser filter which reduces glare from shiny water surfaces and enhances underwater details. At full polarisation, reflections are wiped out fully. Rotate the polariser until you get the right amount of effect on your reflection.
Enhance colour and details with a polariser filter, Situgunung, Sukabumi, Indonesia.
5. PRAY FOR LUCK: It is always about luck when you are dealing with Mother Nature. Perfect reflection depends heavily on the wind speed and the right light which is very often unpredictable, and the wind speed changes rapidly too. Watch the horizon properly, prepare your camera and pray for a lucky strike.
A professional photographer who believes that photography helps her understand life, Salliza Salleh aka Matsuda Mashimaru wanders the globe to experience moments with her trusty friend, her camera.