I don’t know if you remember for yourself, or at least observing small children, what joy arises when looking into a mirror like pond. It is magical. I remember reaching into the water to cause a little stir. As the water rippled distorting my own image I wondered, “Is this really me?â€Â Yes and no.
Perhaps it is that same magical wonderment that still draws me to reflections. Vast scenes, birds, buildings, people, colors, abstracts – you name it! A reflection has a life of its own. You can also see my of my favorite reflection shots at Reflection
So this past week between began and ended with captures of local reflections.  It is always a challenging image because the reflection itself is usually at least two exposure stops different than the subject. With the help of a graduated neutral density filter your sensor can usually handle the subject. I used a two stop neutral density filter for the Place of Fine Art (San Francisco, built for the 1915 Panama Pacific International Exposition and recently reopened after a 7 year renovation project).
A website created by the Maybeck Foundation, www.LoveThePalace.org includes a “memory book” where San Franciscans can share their personal connections to the site.
The predawn light, the setting moon and the lighting on the palace all wonderfully reflected in the pond. I opted to use a wide angle lens which kept the moon quite small. A longer lens and backing off a half block would have produced a wonderful huge moon with a portion of the Palace.  Next time.
The second reflection I captured this week is of a Wood Duck in Stow Lake, Golden Gate Park. The early morning low light from the side illuminated just one half of the duck. I really like the way the right side is in deep shadow and almost invisible. It is not a photo you would use for  scientific identification but it sure is moody. While the winter blasts in most parts of the country I am taking advantage of the sun and moon here in the city. And it is all about the light!
Remember to view these images in a larger format in the weekly 2 at http://www.awegallery.com/index.php?page=artists&gal=105