I use mirrors and reflections to add a creative twist to my smartphone photos: Here’s how

Mirrors and reflections are a powerful way to add another dimension to smartphone photos, I use them in several ways for more creative shots. In addition to taking advantage of my surroundings, I also change a few settings on my smartphone camera to get the best results.

1 Turn on the camera grid

I can’t say it enough: turning on your smartphone’s camera grid is one of the easiest ways to improve your smartphone photos. When you turn this feature on, it will be much easier for you to get the right composition.

By turning on the camera grid, it allows me to specify where the reflections should appear in the image. It doesn’t matter what form of composition I use; the rule of thirds is of course an all-time classic, but the grid also makes it easy to create a foreground, center, and background.

On most smartphones, you should find an option to turn on the camera grid in your device settings. In addition to simply turning it on, I also learned which type of smartphone camera grid is best.

2 Thinning of guide lines in waterways

Lead lines are probably my favorite style of photo composition and I use them more than almost anything else. One of the ways I do this with reflections and mirrors is to think about how I can change the appearance of different waterways. This is incredibly difficult because you don’t always have symmetry, but it can still lead to interesting results.

I will often use different items to make my leader lines thinner, especially in wider waterways. For example, in the image below, I used walls and buildings lining the canal to make the space in the middle seem smaller.

I don’t mind too much if the patterns are symmetrical or not; for me the most important thing is to make the middle space look smaller. Knowing how to take amazing photos of bodies of water will also help you here.

3 Using mirrors to reflect something you can’t see in the picture

You may have used mirrors to reflect things that were already in the image before, and that will work quite well in most scenarios. But why not take it up a notch and try using mirrors to showcase things you can’t see in the picture? This is exactly what I do in some of my photos and it often adds a unique dimension.

This type of photography works well when the subject is right next to a mirror or window, and I prefer to do it in urban areas. For example, in the photo below, I wanted to include buildings on the other side of the water that you wouldn’t otherwise see.

While I recommend using this photo effect in an urban setting, you can also get good results by trying it out in a more natural setting. Using reflections is one of the many ways to get great smartphone photos.

4 Preserving night mode settings for night reflections

Night mode is one of the most underrated features of my iPhone camera. When using this feature, your device will compensate for low-light situations in various ways, such as adding more light. You’ll also see more detail in your images; that was one of the most noticeable differences I saw after upgrading from the iPhone 8 Plus to the iPhone 13 in 2022.

If you’re trying to capture reflections at night, keeping the night mode settings will save you from having to adjust everything later.

To find this function:

1. Open the Settings app and go to Camera > Keep Settings.
2. Search Night mode switch.
3. Switch Night mode turn on and return to the Camera app.

5 Allowing light to shine into the windows

Just as you would use filters to diffuse the light coming into your camera lens, I think it’s worth looking for ways to soften the light in your reflections. One way to do this is to allow light to shine through windows.

Depending on the building you are in, there will be certain times of the day when light comes through the windows. Much will depend on where and when the sun sets in your location; I like to think about how to use this kind of effect in the winter when there is little daylight and the lighting is softer.

6 Creating foreground, center and background

Using foreground, center and background is one of the most underrated photo editing techniques. When faced with something that you think is quite interesting, I recommend using this method. For example, you can use the grass in front of you as the foreground, a lake with a reflection as the center, and a mountain as the background.

This doesn’t really work if the desired main item is on the side. If your main subject is not in front of you, the image can start to look disjointed. While you can overlay and combine two images on your phone, it’s easier—and more rewarding—to capture them directly as you shoot.

7 Using mirrors and windows for framing

If you’re outside, you might want to consider using mirrors and windows — along with their reflections — to creatively frame photos.

You can do this in several ways. For example, you can use a window or a mirror as part of a larger picture; I like to use windows as an example of details on the sides of buildings. If you’re indoors, you might also want to use your own windows and mirrors to frame your pictures.

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Different window sizes and frames will have different effects, so I encourage you to experiment and see what works for you. This is also where learning how to take better architectural smartphone photos is helpful.

8 Place the object in the middle of the reflections

Another way to creatively use reflections in images is to place an object in the center of them. For example, if you catch reflections on a river, you can wait for a bird to swim through the middle or a boat to pass.

Smartphone cameras are often not as good at capturing smaller details, so I recommend using larger subjects where possible. This effect works especially well when there is enough light shining on the body of water, so I recommend shooting around golden hour or under artificial lighting at night.

Mirrors, windows and reflections are all great ways to add depth to smartphone photos. You can use what is reflected from them in several ways, including bringing elements into the image that were not seen before. Additionally, you can be very creative with where you place your subjects in reflection photos.