Mylar Reflections for Beauty and Abstracts

by Paul W. Faust

There are many ways to create beautiful images, and great abstracts, but there are only a few ways that will do both using just one simple technique, and it will do it in both color, and black and white. If that doesn’t get your attention, then just think about this also. You can usually do it at a price less than $25, and right from the comfort of your own home.

This simple technique is done with just a simple sheet of Mylar reflector material, which usually comes in rolls of various widths and lengths. For smaller objects, a 24 inch wide roll will do, and for larger items you may want to use a 36 inch wide roll, or even wider if you can find it. Any well stocked arts and crafts store will handle it, or they can order it for you.

There are many ways to set up a subject with Mylar, and it will mostly depend on how wide the roll is that you have. I use a dinning chair for the 24 inch roll, drape it down from the backrest, and over the seat. Then I just place the item on the seat area of the Mylar, and use the backrest area as the subjects background. You will need to set up your camera on a good solid tripod, and attach whatever lens you have for close-up work. I have found that both a macro lens, or a close-up filter attachment works equally well, but the filters will of course be a lot cheaper if you don’t already have a macro lens. A good zoom lens in the 105mm range also works great. A zoom will allow you to change the focal length to whatever you need to fill the frame. It’s a lot easier than having to move the camera in and out on the tri-pod. A cable release is also advised.

When you have your set-up ready, fill the frame with the subject and background. The effect you will get all depends on how you twist and bend the sheet of Mylar, and also how close the subject is to its surface. Too far away and the subject becomes so small that you may not be able to recognize it. This can be good, or bad. That will all depend on what the subject is. With something like a flower, you may want to see the flower and its reflection, (see example #1) or you may just want to see the flower itself, and have its reflection as a pure mass of abstract colors behind it. I will usually do it both ways so that I actually end up with two different images from the same set-up.

Moving the Mylar into a working shape can be the biggest problem of all. Most of the time it will not want to stay the way you need it, but there are a few ways to get around that. One is to simply use a piece of Scotch Tape and tape an edge of the Mylar to a leg, or some other area to keep it in the position you want. You can also lay a small object on the Mylar out of sight. Any weight whatsoever will make it bend, but this should be done as a last resort. Objects that are too heavy will put a permanent crease in the sheet that usually will not look good in any kind of shot. If you are going to use that sort of bending technique, then place the object under the sheet and not on top. Always try to use the same side of the sheet. That way any scratches you may cause will always be on the under side. A few suggested items to make your needed bends include, tennis balls, plastic cups, film cans, chalk board erasers, and just about anything soft. Items NOT to use include; two-sided tape, sharp edged objects, and heavy items.

Besides the set-up itself, the other main consideration you will need to handle is the lighting. I have found one to be just as good as another. I will set up outdoors in direct sun just to get the extreme contrasts it will give me. I also will set up indoors for those subjects that I want to have soft pastel colors. Let your subject determine what light you use, or just do it both ways. The most that will happen is that you will learn more, use a bit more film, and possibly end up with twice as many good images.

There is no recipe for the right way to manipulate Mylar, but there are a few things you will need to watch out for when composing an image. The #1 thing being, what all is going to show up in your reflections, and you will find out that there will be many things in them besides your subject. Outdoors you may find that a chain link fence becomes a part of your background, and indoors a wall heating vent may show up out of nowhere. They may not be there when you look through your viewfinder, but when your lens stops down to expose the shot, they come out of the woodwork like relatives after you’ve won the lottery. If you have a depth-of-field preview button, use it before you make every exposure. You will find out that what was a blur when composing the image, turns into the person standing behind you. Since most subjects will only have a one to two foot depth of field range, you do not really have to use the smallest aperture setting to have everything in focus and a setting of f8 or larger will better control what might otherwise show up in the background reflection.

Subject matter can be anything, and everything under the sun. One of my favorites is colored construction paper bought at any art supply store, (see example #2.) You can use it as is, or cut it up into any shape imaginable. Then combine them. Lay one color, and/or shape, on top of another, or lay them out in groups, with square corners on one side of the image, and your cut out shapes on the other side. Combine color papers with other objects like a flower. You also do not even have to show the object itself in the image, other than as a reflection of it. I have found that shooting color paper is best done outdoors to get that extra contrast that will make the colors just scream off of your film.

Speaking of film, again you will get the best results by using a film that will match the subject that is being photographed. For the boldest colors I prefer a Fuji film, such as Provia-100. It also works well for pastel colored subjects, or you can use a bit slower film such a Kodachrome. I have not found higher speed grainy images to be as striking as razor sharp ones, but that is only my personal opinion. You may like it.

So, the next time you complain about never having anything new to shoot, try some Mylar reflections. Then your only complaint will be that you never have enough time to shoot all of those things you’ve found around the house to use. With this Mylar technique, you are only limited by the limit of your own imagination.

About the Author

Paul W. Faust is a self-taught Photographer, Writer, Digital Imaging, Photo Restoration, and Photo Stock Service professional.

His work has been published in American Photographer, Camera 35, Camera and Darkroom, Popular Photography, Photographic, Photographers Forum, www.apogeephoto.com and here at TPN. Past assignments have included many cover images, full-page spreads, and also shooting stills for both Hollywood movie sets, and for star hopefuls including Bo Derick, Heather Locklear, and Pricilla Barns, among others. Paul's images have also been used by; NikonNet, Bogen Photo Imaging, East Tennessee Film Commission, and The Knoxville Zoo, to name a few, including their web sites.

Paul can be reached at pwf_iol@yahoo.com

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