Continuing our quick-fire guides to wildlife photography on safari we show you how to get great reflection pictures.

Water and wildlife – it’s a winning combination.  A life-force and magnet for subjects, water reliably provides both inspiration and magical images for photographers on safari whether on rivers, at pans, or at watering points. And that’s especially true on a still day when there’s the bonus of reflection shots to be had into the bargain. We can’t resist taking reflection pictures and are always on the look-out for them on our safaris. They’re like those buy-one-get-one-free offers; get two beautiful wildlife subjects for the price of one.

A pristine reflection can be reason enough on its own to press your shutter release, but reflections bring the photographer other benefits too. A reflection can be your ally when you can’t quite get close enough to a subject; its ‘body double’ in the water helping fill the frame or providing a clearer focal point in your composition. And when animals are linked as one with their reflections, a ‘circle of attention’ is created that keeps the viewer’s eye travelling round and round your subject. Animals linked seamlessly to their reflections can also produce fascinating abstract shapes that make for extra visual interest in an image – like those mesmerising Rorschach inkblots. But while reflections are nature’s gift to the photographer, ripe for the picking; there are some pitfalls you need to avoid and some useful tips worth considering if you want your own ‘takes’ on them to be picture perfect.

Our top tips for shooting animals and their reflections.

• It goes without saying windless days are your ‘go to’ for real mirror-like reflection shots if you’re after shots that look the same whichever way up you show them. Animals and birds are not happy bunnies on windy days; they tend to stay hidden and are more easily spooked – so forget reflection shots completely on a blowy day.
• The best reflection shots are often those where the subject and its reflection are seamless. If your subject is not at the edge of the water, or in it, its full reflection is cut off and cut through by a band of land. Always double check both subject and reflection before clicking and if necessary change your viewpoint. A lower viewpoint is often all you need to bring subject and reflection closer.
• When conditions are spot-on for ultra-perfect reflections be aware that some reflection pictures can end up looking too symmetrical. One way to avoid this, unless that’s what you’re aiming for, is to ensure you don’t place the line where reality and reflection meet slap bang in the middle of your picture so it splits the frame into two exact halves.
• Although reflection shots work best where the water’s dead calm you can achieve extremely pleasing images on days where a light breeze ripples and slightly breaks up a subject’s shape and its colours reflected in the water. You can use the different moods still vs rippling water produces in your reflection shots to create the exact emotional impact you’re after.
• Ideally you want the water, and particularly the reflection part of it, to be ‘clean’ in your shot. Stones, floating bits of leaf litter and detritus can easily spoil the innate beauty of these images so check there’s nothing in the way of a pristine result. You can clean up your images on computer to remove small offending items if you’re happy to, but avoid these in the first place where possible for the best, most authentic results.

• Switch between portrait and landscape formats when shooting reflections and assess what works best for you in each situation. A single animal or tall waterbird, plus its reflection, for example, can often force you into shooting portrait format, resulting in a long thin picture that can look a bit dull. Try landscape format, pulling back and reframing with your subject off-centre showing more of your subject’s habitat for context. Alternatively stay in portrait format but crop into the reflection deliberately and don’t fret about amputating bits of it. Not everything works!
• We’re not great advocates for lots of tweaking post-capture, but we do find it can often improve a reflection shot if you try lightening your subject’s reflection a little in post-processing. The aim is to lift and bring it out more which you can do by subtly adjusting contrast and exposure across the area of the reflection in your image.
• One of the cool things about wildlife reflections is that you can shoot them at different times of day, even at night on Zimanga, so you’re not just relying on the brief golden hour. The mood of your shots will be greatly impacted by the colours of the sky reflected in the water giving lots of scope for you creative types out there. On overcast, white sky days, for example, you could try a high-key approach overexposing a bit for something very minimalist, tranquil and Zen-like in mood.
• You can be just as creative with reflection shots as any other type of wildlife image. Once you’ve mastered the basic approach, and are happy with your results, have fun playing around and see where else you can take them. You don’t have to be representational. Try photographing a subject’s reflection only (leave the subject out of your picture completely), alternatively show only part of a reflection or produce an impressionistic image of just a vague rippling reflection of your subject that looks quite painterly.
• Make use of hides where you can. Many of the specially-designed hides we use on our safaris (Zimanga and Mashatu) have been set up at waterholes frequented regularly by the local wildlife and constructed for maximum chance of great reflection pictures when animals and birds stop by to drink. The design of the reflection pool hides on Zimanga is highly-specified so the rims of the drinking edge are narrowed almost to infinity with the added bonus of great background drop-off and low-angle. You’ll find an almost seamless link between subject and reflection ready and waiting for you.

Scrub hare drinking at night, Zimanga night hide

There’s a temptation to shoot mostly in portrait mode with a single subject, which tends to emphasise symmetry and can makes images look static and unnatural. A landscape format forces you to give the subject more room to move into, if you offset the subject.

Canon EOS 1DX, EF70-200mm lens at 130mm, 1/80 sec, f/4, ISO 640