I have this idea in my mind about photography. It goes like this: the best photography is not from a place but a state of mind.
Reflections can be metaphors for so many aspects of life. As a photographer, I see reflections as potent compositional elements. Perhaps because I am open to their role in my craft, I notice them and sometimes, I find the reflection more interesting than its source.
Following is a collection of images that share nothing in common other than the compositional element of a reflection. This study explores this element in various forms, from naturally occurring to artificially rendered.
Click on the "Image" button to see the photo in it's original form.
Reflections are like memories, echos of an event. (Montpellier, France)
Water as a source of reflections. (Venice, Florida)
I create images as much from a camera as my mind's eye. Camera and technique are tools that I use on the canvas of my imagination. (Sarasota, Florida)
Reflections on calm water. Thoughts are like the clouds reflecting in the waters. Much of what we think is a reflection of who we have become. (Tom Bennett Park).
Instead of turning left I turned right, taking a random path and ending up along the river. A unexpected view and an opportunity to pause and reflect. (Manatee River, DeSoto National Memorial)
I never know how a picture will turn out, creating artful images is highly subjective. For me, this is about an elegant shape reflected in Sarasota Bay.
I read somewhere that photography teaches us to see without a camera. That means not overlooking remarkable scenes in familiar places. (Bradenton, Florida)
At a distance of a a mile, refections appear long on the calm bay. (Sarasota Bay, Florida)
The feathers of the Roseate Spoonbills reflect on the swamp at Perico Preserve.
The city of Venice is sinking because the soil is slowly compacting. At high tide flooding occurs in St Marks Square adding another dimension to the architecture.
For me this scene is about symmetry and simplicity. A scene that adheres to a minimalistic aesthetic. (Nathan Benderson Park, Sarasota)
I was struck by the mirrored gradient of red glow along the horizon. Noticing beauty is contagious and possibly addictive. Once you start, it’s nearly impossible to stop. (Riverwalk, Bradenton)
When I sit down to create an image I can spend hours on a project, working hour after hour, lost in creative reverie. (Sunshine Skyway Bridge, Tampa Bay)
Symmetry from reflections occur all around us and can form the seeds of compositions using the most unlikely subjects. (Palmetto, Florida)
The heavy clouds add drama to the scene. They are illuminated above mid-town, and reflect on the water. (Central Park's Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir).
A foggy night at the docks. The reflection of light on water plays tricks with the imagination. (Bradenton, Florida)
A brothel's red lights cast a reflection on the calm night water of the canal. (Amsterdam)
A pristine reflection of the mountains at Moose Pass, taken from a train. (Between Seward and Anchorage Alaska).
The reflections accentuate the natural elements, which are unlike anywhere else on earth. (Glenorchy, New Zealand).
A section of the city as seen from an infinity pool. (Barcelona)
Lights of the morning train reflect upon the water, adding a sense of magic to a daily occurrence. (Bradenton, Florida).
Setting sun reflecting on the glass towers. (Vancouver, Canada)
A skimmer works the waves at sunset. Small pools of water retained from the tide reflect the warm glow of the sun. (Bradenton Beach, Florida)
It's the kind of image you might see on the cover of a meditation book, at least that's what comes to my mind. (Emerson Point, Palmetto Florida)
As this resembles an EKG, my idea is that this is the heartbeat of a city. (San Francisco)
The bay was calm so as to produce a colorful interplay of the bridge and port reflections upon the bay. (Treasure Island, California)
Using reflections we take a mundane scene and transform it into something different. (One World Observatory, New York City)
When the water is calm, it reflects like glass and a new world of compositions appear, as if by magic. (Palmetto, Florida)
The best reflections are found in nature. Symmetry adds a subtle dimension to a scene. (Myakka River State Park, Florida)
Rick Schwartz...
...is a prolific photographer of landscapes, beaches, sunsets, urban settings and pretty much whatever else catches his eye.
Check out more of his work at justenoughfocus.com