September 18, 2025 Nicholas Engert

On Reflection

I have always been fascinated by reflections in both the natural world and the built environment. Reflections are an opportunity to see things differently albeit distorted, rippled or exaggerated. Once you are aware of them you will see reflections everywhere.

I try to mostly avoid actual mirrors as they are both too obvious and difficult to avoid catching the photographer in the shot! Water and windows provide some of the best reflections but in the right lighting conditions sheet ice, or polished metal will also create interesting effects. Below are a few that I have collected over the years.

This is a reflection of trees on a beautiful day in a rain puddle. The odd fallen leaf can be seen dotted on the surface but these aside this is almost a perfect mirror. The breeze occasionally ruffled the surface but I failed to get a good picture worth showing.

This was taken in Norfolk - I forget exactly where - on a beautiful summer’s day. The combination of the stained glass windows - which are not a reflection - with the house, trees and gravestones framed within the grid of the leaded windows creates three seemingly overlapping layers and depth.

Kimmeridge, Dorset on an overcast afternoon. The sky is softly reflected in the sea with the quality of an old oil painting.

This was taken at Frankfurt airport a few years ago. The vaulted ceiling in one of the transition areas of the airport was panelled in mirror tiles with everything below reflected and distorted in a tangle of semi understandable reflections. This was fascinating, yet most people walked through without noticing and thereby missing the ever-changing patterns and distortions.

Winter is a great time to photograph reflections in the countryside, particularly on still grey days. When the trees are “undressed” their skeletal structure reveals a delicacy that is as clear in the reflection as in the actual trees.

Taken in Kensington the glazing of this modern building reflects the 19th century terrace almost perfectly whilst the occasional distortion gives it a slightly surreal effect.

Taken at the same time as the previous shot in Kensington. The modern plate glass window perfectly reflects the buildings opposite but overlaid with graphic of dots.