View of Nature in Japan

Another Space in the Water

Quick Look

100 photographs in the carousel

Four Light Layers 

Lower Angle

The water reflection presents a vertically inverted image. Optically, its upside-down image captures an upward perspective identical to a camera positioned beneath the surface, at a depth equivalent to the observer's actual height above the water, assuming no water refraction. As a result, the image provides a lower angle than a direct view, and this effect is more pronounced for nearby objects and higher observation points. 

Polarization

The water’s surface functions as a polarizing filter whose efficiency depends on the angle of observation. Around a specific angle, the suppression of scattered white light increases the saturation and contrast of the reflected image while reducing overall brightness. A C-PL filter can be used to obscure the below-surface area of the water, making the surface reflection relatively sharper and more visible.

Four Different Layers

Strictly speaking, a photograph taken at the waterside can consist of four different light layers: the above-surface area including cast shadows, the reflections of above-surface objects including the Sun, floating objects such as leaves, and the below-surface area. If a reflection image is vertically flipped, a distinct space appears to open within the water, suggesting a philosophical sublation of reality and unreality. 

For further reading on the optical aspects and the philosophical concepts behind the water reflections, please explore "Miscellaneous".

✦ Notes

  • UD: Photo flipped Upside Down (indicated by a small "UD" mark in the bottom right corner of the slideshow)

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