How to Photograph Reflective Surfaces

What are reflective surfaces?

Reflective surfaces are materials that allow light to bounce off of them and be directed back into the light source. This is why they are often used on roads, in parking lots, and other areas where there is light exposure.

A reflective surface is also a material such as glass, metal, polished wood, or plastic that reflects light and is used as a mirror. You can use mirrors to look at yourself in the bathroom, in the shower, and in front of a computer screen. There are many different types of reflective surfaces.

Best Tips to Shoot a Reflective Surface

Choose the right time of day

The first thing to consider when photographing reflective surfaces is the time of day at which you want to shoot them. The best time for shooting reflective surfaces is around sunrise or sunset. At this time of day, light is softer and more diffuse on the surface of water than it is during daytime. This will make your photos look more interesting and beautiful!

Use the right camera settings.

If you’re photographing a reflective surface, such as water or glass, you’ll want to keep your ISO low (100-200) so that it doesn’t get too grainy. This will also help keep shutter speeds high enough that you don’t get any blurring caused by camera shake or movement of your subject. If possible, use a tripod or other means of stabilizing your camera so that you can keep exposures nice and long while still getting sharp images.

Use the right lens.

A wider focal length will give you more room to work with when composing your shot. You may also want to consider using an external flash unit if you have one available — this will allow you to bounce light off the surface so that shadows aren’t cast onto it or into your lens.

Shoot in a well-lit room

Reflective surfaces always look better when there’s plenty of light shining on them. You’ll want to shoot in a well-lit room with plenty of natural light coming through your window. If you don’t have enough daylight coming in, turn on all the lights so that there’s no dark areas in the room where the camera can’t see what it’s doing. A tripod will also help keep things steady if you’re shooting at slower shutter speeds or longer focal lengths.

Shoot from above or below

When photographing reflective surfaces from above or below, try tilting your camera instead of moving around while shooting because this will cause less distortion than rotating the camera around its own axis while shooting (see tip #3 below). If you do tilt your camera, make sure it’s level when looking through the viewfinder so that the images come out straight rather than skewed due to lens distortion. If you have a tilt shift lens or tilt shift adapter for your DSLR, use it!

Shoot in Manual Mode

In this mode, you set the aperture, shutter speed, and ISO yourself. This gives you more control over how your image looks. It also allows you more flexibility because if one setting doesn’t work, you can change another one instead of having to start over with a new shot.

Use a Tripod

If you don’t have a tripod handy or would rather not use one, try using a nearby surface as support for your camera — like a table or countertop. Just make sure it’s stable enough so that it won’t move when you press the shutter button!

Look for Patterns & Texture

Reflective surfaces have lots of texture and patterns that can add interest to an otherwise plain background such as concrete or glass windows, so look for these when choosing your subject matter.