SURREAL MIRROR PORTRAITS
Louise Carey reveals how to create abstract reflections and utilise exposure compensation for a moody look in your urban portraiture
Create abstract reflections for a unique look in your urban portraiture
Adding a new flavour to portraiture can be hard to do when so many techniques have been extensively tried and tested already. However, by using a handheld mirror, a standard lens, and a striking architectural backdrop, you can create a surreal reflection that looks as if your subject is walking on water.
Finding the right background is essential for this project. Avoid busy street scenes, as they will distract from the main subject. Search for backdrops with graphic lines that can frame your model. Reflecting these lines with a mirror will add an extra dimension to your photo.
While many portrait techniques demand a telephoto focal length, this project requires a full-body view of the subject. Use a standard focal length, such as 50mm, but try not to go much wider than 35mm, as wide-angle lenses can cause barrel distortion on straight architectural lines.
It’s worth remembering that a wide aperture will blur out the form of the mirror itself, but the reflection it shows will be on the same focal plane as your scene, so it won’t be blurred out in the same way as the mirror. This will produce an ethereal, surreal effect. Here’s what you need to do…
1 GET THE RIGHT PROPS
A small mirror is perfect for this. Look for mirrors that will comfortably accommodate the width of your lens glass and have a lip that won’t produce unsightly lines in your shot.
2 USE A STANDARD LENS
Any focal length between 35mm and 50mm will work well here, so an 18-55mm kit lens will be fine. However, a 50mm f/1.8 will work particularly well for this technique.
3 SET UP YOUR COMPOSITION
Place your subject against a background with clean architectural lines. For the best results, try to find a quiet spot so that you can avoid having any other people in your shot.
4 USE APERTURE PRIORITY
Aperture Priority enables you to have all of the control of Manual mode without having to worry about accidentally having the wrong exposure if the light changes. Select it now.
5 CHOOSE YOUR SETTINGS
Select a wide aperture, such as f/1.8, and ensure your shutter speed remains above 1/125sec by adjusting your ISO accordingly. Use Singlepoint AF, and focus on your subject’s face.
6 USE YOUR MIRROR
Place the mirror under your lens so that you can see it in the bottom half of your frame, and angle it until you achieve the desired result. This might be tricky at first, but practice makes perfect.
7 AS CERTAIN TAKE A TEST SHOT
Take a test shot to whether your composition is as powerful as possible and your settings are correct. Zoom in on your subject to ensure that they’re sharp and in focus.
8 USE EXPOSURE COMPENSATION
If you want to add some moody punch to your image, dial your exposure compensation down by between 1/3rd of a stop and one full stop. This will darken the shot and give it an extra edge.