inside outside upside down

How we view the world through our camera lens often helps us shape the world we experience in our day to day life. One of my favorite photographic perspectives is the simple act of reflection and inversion. This post processing "flip" lets my world become the abstract surrealist version of life that I often perceive in my imagination.

The morning I saw this image in the puddle reflection, we were both feeling something in the space between mother and son. It was a hug and a tug of parenthood and childhood. We were bridging a gap and it conjured up memories and old stories long forgotten. I wanted to document the feeling of this morning in a way that didn't show a particular expression, but instead, painted a picture of how I felt from our conversation.

Since I have a camera with me absolutely everywhere I go, my son is used to this fact even in his rebellion of it. I now find myself explaining my process to my son, as he is often the witness to my creative spark (and with reluctance to have his photograph taken these days) I hear myself telling him, "I'm focusing on your shoes, the details of your face with be lost in this puddle reflection." By talking outloud to him about my process it puts him at ease that I won't try to sneak in a picture of him unwillingly. This also gives him the ability to be part of it the process. So, when we view the final image, perhaps he carries that vision with him as he ventures out into his world. And the next time I see him gazing into puddles looking for another dimension, I will smile to myself at the future he might hold in his own imagination.

Do you seek reflections? Abstractions? Do you flip your images to create an optical illusion to wrinkle your brow with a millisecond of confusion? Show us how you play with photography by sharing your images in the comments below.

Comments

[Gabi]

Love these kinds of shots. This one reminds me of one of mine:

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cybergabi/7628945030/"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8006/7628945030_f9598b8243_q.jpg"></a>.

[Marcie]

I - too - am often drawn to the reflective...more abstract-like images:
http://www.marciescudderphotography.com/home/2012/10/15/reds-and-blues.html

And - I just love yours here..and the thought-process behind it.

[shirley]

http://shirleybittner.blogspot.ca/2012_08_06_archive.html

[Janice]

I absolutely love this shot-it represents motherhood perfectly!

[Anna]

I love the colors at the edges of this. Lovely.

[Gabi]

Some HTML burp going on in my comment above. Try this: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cybergabi/7628945030/

[Karen]

I love the reflection shots. I want to pay more attention to and find puddles to play with! I love playing with fun apps on my iphone... Here are a few I thought were fun! Two of them are of my almost 20 year old daughter enjoying the swings at the beach :)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/80357694@N06/8093430093/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/80357694@N06/8093434394/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/80357694@N06/8093434394/in/photostream/

[Sandee]

Very cool. Love it.

[Gotta Run]

Ooh, I love this shot! I also seek shadows and reflections. I took this shot of my husband kayaking at Town Lake. http://www.flickr.com/photos/gottarun2009/7437203032/in/set-72157627535058945

[Kathryn Dyche Dechairo]

I love this image, when I allow myself to play with the reality of an image I'm often surprised by the results.

[Becky Sue]

I just flipped a reflection shot that I took this weekend and boy did that hurt my brain for a moment. lol Definitely a fun exercise.

You can see both images here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rslaflam/8094938286/

[SherriS.]

Reflections are magical and your shot mesmerized me. Here are two of my recent faves:

https://skydrive.live.com/?sc=photos#cid=5FE6A453ACC57919&id=5FE6A453ACC57919%211263&sc=photos

https://skydrive.live.com/?sc=photos#cid=5FE6A453ACC57919&id=5FE6A453ACC57919%211249&sc=photos

[Gabriela]

Love this photo and the story behind it...my daughter is also evading the camera...here is a reflection photo taking on a lovely spring in Philadelphia:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gamaraca/7250167770/in/photostream

[munsel]

Awesome, really love the colours and contrasts, i love reflections and this one is a really great shot, well done ;-)

[psimoduloquadro]

This is stunning!

http://www.psimoduloquadro.blogspot.com