Reflection is something that comes back to you. Whether it be a memory, or a mirrored image in a lake, it means to look at something out of its original form.

My photo is quite literal. It contains a dancer’s silhouette and the scenes reflection in the water. There is contrast in the color, clarity, and direction of the image. Clarity is the most obvious difference. Her sharp silhouette is engulfed in hundreds of cascading lights. Originally I had hoped for a clear reflection in the water, but the fuzziness in the finished product provides the striking contrast I was looking for. A blurred silhouette in clouds of light. My model’s pose mirrored in the water.  The scenes reflection is peachy fog, while the actual sparks are closer to white or silver wire.

I placed the dancer and the camera as close to the water as I could: I wanted as much reflection in the captured image as possible. Kai Ford volunteered to come along on this experience, so I had him crouch down behind her and spin a whisk filled with lit steel wool as fast as he could, ensuring the circumference of the circle was tight.

Determining my model’s pose was a constant process; we tried several poses and modified them a little bit each time. She had to hold the pose for 10 seconds and as still as she possibly could to prevent any fuzziness in her silhouette. The shutter speed was set to 5 seconds but the steel wool lasted for 10, so we took 2 photos per light.

This shoot reminded me how much I loved to take pictures for the sake of creative expression and was a pleasant shift from a rigid assignment.