Photography is an art that not only demands practice and creativity. To do that, you should try different techniques, ideas, and tools. Mirror photography, or reflection photography, is one such technique. This method allows photographers to explore different perspectives. eflective photography spans the use of reflective objects, like mirrors, or surroundings, like rivers and lakes, for your photos.
If you’re looking to add more creative styles to your photos, take your photography up a notch or master a new technique, then this blog is just for you! We’ll go over some of the tips that will help you get started with reflective photography with mirrors and how to use props to enhance your work!
Handy Tips on How to Use Mirror Props for Better Photography
- Using a Romm Mirror to Capture your Subject
One of the easiest ways to use mirror props is to use the mirror in the room. If you have access to a wall-mounted mirror or other mirrors in the room, you can change angles quickly. Furthermore, mirros can help you use the natural lighting of the setting for good photos. And if that does not work out for you, you can use artificial lighting to enhance your photos.
If you have a big mirror, you’ll have more options as well. The best way to capitalize on this would be to have your subject try out different poses. Additionally, you should try stepping back or getting closer, exploring how the light plays with the mirror, and the subject or subjects.
- Shoot in Manual Focus
Whether you’re using big or small mirrors, one of the best mirror photography tricks is to switch to manual focus. Although autofocus is a great help, it does not work well here. Since the perception of depth differs when you work with mirrors, it is best to switch to manual focus. This will give you sharper and clearer photos. The autofocus system will not be able to make an accurate judgment and give you sharp photos as a result.
The best way to make sure that your manual focus setting is on-point is to practice and experiment. When you’re not busy with photo assignments, you can add practicing with mirrors as props to your off-season to-do list. Practicing will make you comfortable and help you understand how to use manual focus settings that you’re comfortable with.
- Pay Attention to Other Camera Settings
Mastering mirror photography techniques starts with mastering your camera and its settings. Before you start experimenting with smaller mirror props, you should consider practicing with large mirrors, and camera settings. Apart from the manual focus, you should tinker with the shutter speed as well. Regardless of which reflective surface you use, you should switch to using a long shutter speed. As you use longer shutter speeds, ensure that you switch the aperture to around f/16. What this will do is blur out the subject, not a lot but just enough, and give a magical photo! This is especially important for liquid reflective surfaces or when taking silhouettes with mirrors. Along with this, ensure that you’re paying attention to the glare. Glare can bleed into the photo and ruin what you’re trying to do. It is best to practice how to avoid glare in the mirrors you use, regardless of what time you take photos of your subjects.
- Look into Inspiration
One of the best mirror photography tips is to ensure that you’re always looking for inspiration. Apart from practicing, inspiration helps you get a fresh perspective. Constantly checking what fellow photographers are doing, and checking out mirror reflection photography ideas will help you get your creative juices flowing. Furthermore, there’s a chance that you’ll be inspired to do something new, something that you did not plan on before!
- Carrying the Mirror Props you’re Comfortable With
Lastly, when you start practicing with the mirror photography technique, you’ll know which props you’re good with and which ones give you the best results. So, the best tip is to pack these mirror props when you’re preparing for your photo assignment! This will not only help you stay confident but will also eliminate wasting time looking for mirrors and creating the perfect set-up for photography.
The tips above will help you master mirror photography. If you’re looking for photography tricks with mirrors, then you should try using multiple mirrors, a standard-sized mirror to reflect the subject’s surroundings, or simply capture their shadows in mirrors. The thing is, the tips above help you get started with mastering how to work with reflective surfaces and mirrors. Once you do that, the opportunities are endless!
