Spiritual Photo Tip 18: Reflections

Welcome to Spiritual Photo Tip 18 – Reflections – opening new ways of seeing and being in the world.

There’s so much to say about how light plays on and with surfaces to create reflections. I’ve broken it down into 3 parts – each with its own photo & heart sight tips.

Photographing reflections in water has been a longtime passion of mine.

When the water is perfectly still, it’s like a mirror.

This can be a perfect time to use symmetry in your photo like in the first shot below (an exception to what I taught in Tip 4 on Horizon Lines).

I can’t begin to express how thrilled I was to impose my own symbolism to that shot of the snow egret gazing intently at itself. OK, it was probably looking for fish below the surface, but doesn’t its mirrored pensive pose create stories & conversations in your head?

Puddle-play is just one of the reasons I like to go walking during or after a rainfall. Looking for splashes of colour or upside down sceneries simply delights me.

When the water isn’t still, it creates mirages of colour & movement that dance with the imagination. 

This week, find bodies of water to connect with – be it an ocean, lake, river, puddle, or cup of water. Change your position a little to see how the worlds within them change. 

Try symmetry or cutting out the original to only keep the reflection. Have fun!

According to the Law of Correspondence, our outer world is a reflection of our inner world.

The world as we see and experience it emanates from our thoughts and feelings.

The more we nurture and cultivate our inner world, the more our outer world will match our true essence. 

So how are your waters? Are they overly excited & distressed or still as a mirror?

What can you do right now to calm your water so that they reflect your true essence of love & light instead of your monkey mind filled with worries, distortions, fear, etc.

Water isn’t the only reflective surface.

Have fun looking for reflections in mirrors, windows, glasses, etc.

When we look at ourselves straight on without our illusions and delusions, we open the portal to a fuller, more authentic life.

Look at yourself in the mirror. What do you see? Your feelings are a reflection of your thoughts. 

Are you seeing your Self without illusion or delusions?  Can you see your beauty, your Light?

If not, what are some of the false thoughts that you’re ready to let go of.

Keep looking at yourself, eye gazing for at least 5 minutes, to see beyond the judgments, beyond the surface and right into your soul.

Mirror work is powerful healing work. If you’re not familiar with it, Louise Hay explains one famous version of it here.

Photography is all about light.

How that light hits your subject can completely change its appearance.

Here are a few light tips for your next play sessions.

1. The best time of day to take pictures is early in the morning or late in the day before sundown. These magic hours are when you get the long shadows created by light hitting your subject sideways. They also create greater contrast on structures like houses, for example.If you don’t want harsh shadows in your portraits and close-ups, shoot on an overcast day or head for the shade.
   *
2. The magic hours are also great for backlighting like with the photos of the spiderweb or wild grasses. The strong light behind the subject gives it a glowing edge. For silhouettes or emphasis on the light, make sure to expose for that light, not the object. For example, if taking a picture of a backlit tree with a smartphone, tap your finger on the light, not the tree. Or tap on the tree and then drag down the lighting so that the tree is dark and the glow is properly exposed.With an SLR camera, put it in Manual Mode and use a spot meter to measure the light. Or simply underexpose from your automatic setting to favour the light vs. the subject.If you’re taking a portrait and want both to be visible, add fill-flash. You can force your flash on smartphones too.This is one of the trickier lighting techniques. There’s nothing like playing and practicing until you understand the possibilities. Take lots of photos!
   *
3. Glare from lights can add a lot of mood to a shot, like in the first photo of the boardwalk below. Look around for glare on objects like cars, glass, etc.
   *
4. Lens flare can also add a lot to your shots or even become the main subject like in a few of the photos below. This happens when light hits your lens – when you’re shooting right into the sun. Depending on your lens and its angle, it can add orbs, rainbow streaks or sunbursts to your images. I like to play with these with both my SLR and iPhone. They give an ethereal quality to portraits & even selfies.With an SLR, the narrower your aperture (i.e. f16, f22+) and wider the focal length (i.e. 18mm lens), the better.With a smartphone, you just want your light source to be much brighter than the rest of the image and hitting directly into your lens.And as I show with the selfie, you can then edit the shot to increase the contrast or saturation of colour. There’s no limit to the fun you can have!

The Light within you is a reflection of the Light from Source. It’s of the same essence. 

Sit with that knowledge. How does it feel?

Knowing that this is true about everyone else too, how does it change how you see them?

These are great questions to journal about. But don’t stop there.

Take time to reflect on the people in your life and ask yourself these questions:

1. With whom do I focus mostly on the shadows? How can I better appreciate and be compassionate about those shadows? How can I shine my Light brighter with them to change what I see?
2. When are my magic hours, when it’s easier to access my own Light and the Light in others? What activities/ thoughts/ techniques help me access that inner magic for longer periods of time or in times when it’s harder to do?
3. How can I focus more on the beauty of the Light in the world, in others, and within myself instead of focusing on the dark side?

You have the power to inspire by your inner & outer work. Trust me, the light will spill over to shine on others. 

Start by spreading beauty through your photography online on social media or with friends.

Let every picture be a catalyst and a mirror of what’s happening inside. 

Every person that does their inner work is helping light-up the world. If  you’ve read this far down, you’re one of them!

Thank you for your sparks and your flames. You’re magnificent!