Photographing Reflections in Lakes, Ponds and Rivers

A still pond that doubles a mountain range is one of landscape photography's classic images. Reflections look effortless, but they depend on small details.

Calm water is everything

Wind is the enemy. The calmest water is usually:

In the first hour after sunrise, before daytime breezes start.
On small, sheltered ponds and beaver ponds rather than big lakes.
In side channels and backwaters of rivers.

At Schwabacher Landing in Grand Teton National Park, for example, a series of beaver dams creates sheltered pools that reflect the Teton Range. Landscapes like this change: as dams are rebuilt, water levels rise, channels widen and new reflecting pools appear. Don't assume the "classic" tripod spot still works — walk the shoreline and look for new compositions.

Camera height

The lower the camera, the more of the reflection you see and the more symmetrical it becomes. Getting within a few inches of the water often makes the difference between a partial and a complete reflection.

Exposure

A reflection is typically half a stop to a full stop darker than the subject. Options:

Expose for the bright sky and lift the reflection in processing.
Use a soft graduated ND filter placed on the horizon line.
Bracket and blend exposures.

The polarizer

A polarizer can remove reflections (to see into the water) or keep them — it depends on rotation. For mirror reflections, rotate until the reflection is strongest, or remove the filter.

Composition

Symmetry: place the horizon in the middle for a perfect mirror.
Asymmetry: if the sky or the reflection is more interesting, give it two-thirds of the frame.
Foreground: grasses, rocks or lily pads break the mirror and add depth. Wind-blown grasses at the water's edge can be beautiful in their own right — try a slow shutter.
Abstract reflections: fall color in rippled water at 1/15 s becomes painterly.

Smoothing ripples

When the wind won't stop, a long exposure (2–30 seconds with an ND filter) averages ripples into a smooth, glassy surface. The reflection becomes softer but the mood remains.

Best times

Use any location page's sun-path diagram to see when the subject is lit while the water is still in shade — that contrast makes reflections glow. Alpenglow on peaks at sunrise, reflected in a dark pond, is the classic.