Well-known Caledon photographer Gary Hall contributed this piece on how to create beautiful abstract images using reflections in ponds and lakes to Picture Pathway. See the full story with all his beautiful photos, as it was intended to be seen, at https://picturepathway.ca/natures-paintbrush/
During late summer and early autumn, I like to try my hand at a bit of abstract photography. The array of autumn colour combined with the distortion of shapes and lines in ponds and lake reflections can lead to some pleasing results especially when you photograph imperfect surfaces. I look for surfaces with a few ripples to produce an abstract effect.
To arrive at my final product, I crop the reflection from the original print, rotate the image one hundred and eighty degrees so that the scene doesn’t appear upside down and finally enhance the colour. When I used to shoot slide film before the days of digital, my preferred film was Fuji Velvia, a film that produced vibrant, saturated colours so I often try to duplicate this effect by enhancing the colours in Photoshop.
