Mountains reflected in a lake
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Gallery: double the pleasure

July 12, 2022 / 40 Comments

These landscapes of water and reflection are an obsession

Claude Monet

I understand Monet’s obsession with reflections, as will many photographers. They really add something to a landscape, perhaps because they allow us to ‘see double’. Already beautiful scenery is enhanced by being presented to us a second time, often rippled or distorted in an upside-down version of itself.

This week’s guest judge for the Lens Artists challenge, Jez, asks us to share some Seeing Double reflections. Water is the obvious source of these; a landscape of river or lake is the ultimate reflection opportunity.

My feature photo was taken in the Kamikochi National Park in Japan. Here are a few more.

Mountains and pine trees reflected in a lake

Mirror Lake, Snowy Range, WY

Mountains and pine trees reflected in a river

Oxbow Bend, Grand Teton NP

Still lake reflecting the sky

Early morning at Lake Quinault on the Olympic Peninsula, WA

Crater lake reflecting the sky and mountain

The crater lake of Mount Paektu, North Korea

Brown rocks reflected in still water

Near Dyrholaey on Iceland’s south coast

The next couple of shots are from the Okavango; I’m pretty sure I’ve shared these previously but can’t resist including them here too. Seeing the delta’s beautiful landscapes from water level in a mokoro (traditional boat) helps to create really strong reflections.

Dramatic sky reflected in still water
Dramatic sky reflected in still water

Pinching an idea from John of John’s Space I played around with one of my Okavango reflection shots and turned it upside-down!

Orange reeds reflected in water (image reversed)

It’s not just landscapes that make good reflections. So I’ve been through my archives in search of other doubled-up images, some man-made and some from the natural world.

Reflected buildings

Let’s start with architecture:

Yellow buildings reflected in water
In Hoi An, Vietnam
Cathedral reflected in a pond
Wells Cathedral from the Bishop’s Palace Gardens
Marina surrounded by city buildings
Salthouse Dock, Liverpool

Sometimes the reflection alone can make a great shot, even if this isn’t strictly speaking seeing double!

Lighthouse reflected in pond
Lighthouse at Cape May State Park, NJ

You don’t even need large expanses of water to find reflections. I enjoy looking for them in puddles on city streets.

Domed building reflected in a puddle
In Tallinn, Estonia
Night shot of a cathedral tower reflected in a puddle
The bell tower of Seville Cathedral
Cathedral reflected in a puddle
San Michele in Foro, Lucca

Reflected birds

These two birds seem to be admiring their reflections, don’t they?

Colourful duck in water
Mandarin Duck in Bushey Park
Dark duck with a red bill at water's edge
Moorhen in Boston Manor Park, west London

And while water may be perfect for reflections it’s certainly not the only reflective surface! So I’ll finish with a few reflections in buildings and other objects.

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