100+ Creative Examples of Reflections in Photography

Today’s collection of unbelievable photos is a reflective one… literally. We’ve gathered over one hundred photos from extremely talented and creative photographers that use reflections of all kinds to create interesting compositions. Along the way, we’ll see some quick tips that you can keep in mind to spot the perfect opportunities to create your own reflection masterpiece.

Tips for Using Reflections Creatively

Before we get into our huge collection of reflection photos, let’s grab a few select images and use them as lessons for how to effectively and creatively incorporate reflections into our own work.

Landscapes Love Reflections, But Don’t Stop There

Landscapes are probably one of the very first places you would think to use a reflection. Nature creates some of the most beautiful photography subjects imaginable. When you have a lake to work with, the result can be down right majestic. These types of shots can be most impressive when you make it hard to see where the landscape ends and the reflection begins.

One thing to keep in mind is that your first idea tends to be your most generic. I love these types of shots and have included plenty of them below, but as we’ll see next that there is a lot more fun to be had in this area.

Complete the Picture

The shot above is an absolutely fantastic illusion that uses a wall of glass and a perfectly positioned reflection to complete the dome shape and the rest of the building.

When you’re playing around with reflections, be sure to move around a lot and shift your vantage point until you see something that inspires you. The perfect shot might not be there right away, you have to search for it even at the cost of looking like a mad man in public!

Another lesson that we can learn from this is that using reflections involves mastering the art of symmetry. Many of the images that you’ll see in the collection below are beautiful simply because of the symmetry that the reflection produces.

Keep Your Eyes Peeled

Since our world tends to be full of light for a good deal of the time, reflections are absolutely everywhere. They’re probably one of the most readily available sources of creativity you’ll find. You just have to make yourself aware of them and learn to spot interesting subjects.

The gorgeous photo above captures the reflection in a spacesuit visor at a museum, which depicts a wonderful fisheye bend of the room. The result is a stunning image that’s hard to look away from.

Reveal What Is Hidden

Some of my favorite reflection shots, like the space suit and the image of the building above, use reflections to reveal something that’s outside the frame of the camera. The building above acts as a neat mirror that allows us to peer into a bustling street scene. The photographer’s place on the street makes it impossible for him to capture the city from such a high vantage point, but by utilizing the reflective surfaces around him, he is able to show the environment in an impressively creative way.

As you walk around, think about how you can use reflections to capture a viewpoint that you simply couldn’t have shot otherwise. The results are sure to be fascinating.

Zoom In, Way in

As we mentioned above, an extremely wide angle landscape reflection shot can be powerful and majestic, but you can achieve equally amazing results by throwing on your macro lens and looking for tiny surfaces around you. Though not strictly a reflection (it’s actually a refraction), the same principles apply. The most often used method I found of macro reflections is with water droplets like we see in the image above. There’s something magical about seeing such a big world through such a tiny speck!

Abstract Art

My final tip is to open your mind up to see more than crystal clear reflections and also stop to pay homage to the beauty of something a little more abstract, like the image above.

Water tends to be a perfect place to achieve these kinds of effects. The slightest bit of wind or foreign substance can make for some amazing textures and compositions.

The Photos

City Refraction, City Reflection by lrargerich

Equestrian riders by mikebaird

Reflection by Anderson Mancini

Reflections by M Francis McCarthy

Reflection by Minette Layne

Reversed reflections by Hans Pama

Reflection by roolrool

reflections by flickrPrince

Reflections by meddygarnet

Reflections by Viktor Nagornyy

Reflections by kevindooley

Reflection by Jarosław Pocztarski

Reflections in ornamental pond by S John Davey

A moment of reflection by Colin-47 _Away for a while

Reflection on the Sevre by dynamosquito

reflections by addypope

Reflections by Olgierd Pstrykotwórca

Reflection in a ball by redwood 1

Reflection Inside by LadyDragonflyCC

Witham Reflections #2 by Lincolnian

A sunrise reflection by graftedno1

Reflections on the Thames @ night by mostaque

Misty reflections by amateur with luck

Giant Bull Kelp – Nereocystis self-reflection in a lagoon by mikebaird

Window reflections by plastAnka

REFLECTIONS 1776 by sburke2478

UK Landscape 43: Lloyd’s building reflection by francisco_osorio

Christmas Reflections by Ellipsis-Imagery

Violet reflections by RaSeLaSeD – Il Pinguino

Mountain Reflections by epcp

Blue Bridge Reflection by Shayne Kaye

Louvre museum by night puddle reflection by luc.viatour

reflection by Keith Riley-Whittingham

Reflection by graftedno1

Reflection by JelleS

Reflection by Peaches&Cream

Reflections by Lawrence Rayner

reflections by [sonyaofsass]

Reflections by Slawek Puklo

reflections by hans s

reflections by Grzegorz Lobinski

Reflection by Thomas Granbacka

Reflections: Vanity smurf by charlie applebottom

reflection by Kanko

Reflections of Change by DVIDSHUB

reflection by Nevalenx

reflection by Mr.Dionysos

Reflection by joka2000

Reflection by Avijeet_Sachdev

Rainy reflection by Antonis Lamnatos

Reflections by *Melody*

Reflection by salihigde

reflection by Alcino

Reflection by Peter Rosbjerg

Reflection by johnnysam

Reflection by Lucy James Photography

Reflections by Fr Antunes

reflection by hans s

Reflections of Fall by Jaypeg21

reflections by clip works

Reflection by faungg

Reflections by The G-tastic 7

Reflection by Katrina Nicole

This Rose is for you, Flickrettes by graftedno1

Reflection And Refraction by audreyjm529

on reflection by shoothead

reflection on tableware by (matt)

Reflection of leaf by Matthew Fang

ladles reflection 2 by Cast a Line

thousand reflections by Yuliya Libkina

Reflection #1 by Lightsurgery

Orange reflections II by fabbio

Reflection at King & Bay by fullyreclined

Reflection in the window by Brron

Reflection of Autumn (Explored) by Sean Rogers1

Reflections 1 by Llima

Lizard dancing with its reflection by allspice1

pluvial reflections Robert S. Donovan

CD Reflections by Artnow314

Foggy Reflections by Clairspics

remnant reflections by D’Arcy Norman

Repeated Reflections by andrewmalone

Concrete reflection by 96dpi

Rivington Reflections 3 by fabbio

Urban Reflection by Caza_No_7

Primrose reflection by tanakawho

A reflection of Saint Pauls by maz hewitt

busy reflections [EXPLORED] by Matthias Rhomberg

Spacesuit visor reflection by Ed Siasoco (aka SC Fiasco)

Reflections of BEAUTY by UggBoy

Through A Childs Eye by DownTown Pictures

Spiders Web by Lida Rose

My Tram is my Castle – Explore by on1stsite

the cure:just say yes by visualpanic

Dual Perspective by Ray (rayphua)

The Matrix VS The Real World by kirainet

Lily pad by Krikit

jump by JoshuaDavisPhotography

Stephcarter

Snow Day by evoo73

Rainy Mid-Night Snack by MSVG

Pozzanghera con vista by Geomangio

Looking Down at the Sky by MSVG

Reflecting Spoon by Artnow314

Show Us Yours!

Now that you’ve seen our monstrous collection of creatively reflective images, it’s time for you to steal the spotlight by showcasing your own work.

Leave a comment below with some links to the reflection shots you’re most proud of capturing. Also, be sure to share any tips you’ve picked up along the way!