Anyone else become weirdly obsessed with photographing reflections in puddles and windows

[BinaryMonk95]

Started as a total accident during a rainy commute a few months back, snapped a photo of a building reflected upside down in a puddle just to kill time, and now I genuinely cannot walk past standing water or a glass storefront without stopping to check the angle. There is something about the slight distortion that makes an otherwise boring street corner feel worth photographing.

The best ones seem to happen right after rain when the light is still a bit overcast, since harsh direct sunlight tends to blow out the reflection and lose all the subtle color variation that makes the shot interesting in the first place. Overcast light after a storm is basically the sweet spot.

Window reflections are a slightly different game since you often end up layering the reflected scene with whatever is actually behind the glass, which can create these accidental double exposure looking shots that are genuinely hard to plan for on purpose. Some of my favorite ones have been almost entirely luck.

Curious if anyone else has fallen into this specific rabbit hole or has a different unexpected subject they now cannot stop noticing everywhere they go. Feels like one of those things that once you start seeing it, you cannot stop seeing it.

Would love to see what other people have captured if anyone wants to share, always curious how differently people approach the same basic idea depending on their city and the kind of light they get access to

[Ellie_28]

Would be curious what phone or camera people are using for this. Feels like a subject where a slightly wider lens might actually help capture more of the surrounding context around the reflection itself

[Calm Charlotte]

Overcast light after a storm being the sweet spot checks out completely from my own experience. Direct sun genuinely ruins most reflection shots by creating harsh blown out highlights right where the interesting detail should be

[QuantumToken57]

Started doing this with shop windows specifically downtown. The mannequins combined with street reflections create some genuinely surreal looking composite images without any editing required at all. Still think about it now

[BigDogShane10]

Puddle reflections after rain are genuinely one of the most underrated free photo opportunities out there. Costs nothing, requires zero equipment beyond a phone, and the results can look surprisingly professional if the light cooperates

[QuantumToken24]

Never really thought about actively seeking these out. But now that this thread mentions it, I definitely remember stopping to admire a reflection shot like this without ever thinking to actually photograph it myself

[Sandman]

Started doing something similar with car windows and side mirrors specifically. There is a slight curve to most of them that distorts the reflection in a way flat glass just does not replicate

[QueueJump58]

Puddles specifically after rush hour traffic has passed through them get this oily rainbow sheen that adds a whole extra color layer to the shot. Genuinely stunning when it lines up with the right subject reflected in it. Worth keeping in mind honestly

[Janette_88]

Window reflections are trickier to nail consistently in my experience.

You need the right balance between what is behind the glass and what is bouncing off of it, and that balance shifts constantly depending on time of day and weather

[IronFist56]

This might be my favorite kind of accidental hobby thread. The ones where nobody set out to develop an obsession but ended up with one anyway through pure repetition and noticing. That part genuinely surprised me. Small detail but it stuck with me

[ArVeeDee]

The double exposure comparison for window reflections is spot on. Some of the most striking shots I have taken this year were completely unplanned window reflection accidents rather than anything I set out to capture on purpose. Small detail but it matters