The Space Between, Abstract Reflection Photography: Creating Layered Images
Abstract reflection photography is a fun way to play with patterns and create intriguing images. In the photo below, I’ve been experimenting with water reflections at Kambo Marina in Moss. There are many boats here, and there are also docks between each boat that people can walk on to get to their boat.
Creating Abstract Reflection Photography at the Marina
I spotted a yellow kayak lying behind the dock, which was also reflected in the water. So the top is a boat side with a blue and yellow stripe, then comes the dock, then the kayak which is also reflected in the water, and finally comes the reflection of the boat side again with the yellow stripe.
It’s not so easy to immediately perceive what has actually been photographed, but that’s what makes it exciting. And that’s also what makes it abstract.
When I photographed the image, I was looking for a composition that could become an abstract picture. An image that would be exciting. And I think this image turned out exciting. We kind of have to look carefully at it to understand what it is and how it’s constructed. It’s the yellow elements in the middle that create the space between. So the image is in a way symmetrical.
Six variations of the same image
I can also play even more with this image. In the program Canva, some templates work well for creating collages. In other words, a collection on the same theme. Here I’ve only used that one image above to create this composition. By rotating the image, I can create something that forms both symmetry and balance by simply putting pieces of the image together in a collage.
Experimenting with Abstract Reflection Photography
So what’s the conclusion? You can play a lot with the same image. You can flip it, create multiple images from it, edit it in an image editing program, hang it on the wall, or have it in a book. What’s fun is the whole process, from creating the image to getting ideas about what I can do with it. Now I’ve got this idea, and I like it. It became this blog article, and something more emerged from that one image.
For more inspiration on abstract photography, check out 500px or National Geographic.
