Mirror Work & Unexpected Challenges
As part of my ongoing passion project Ink & Story, I recently photographed a woman who had a single tattoo on the back of her calf. The tattoo was placed to cover a surgical scar—already a powerful story in itself. But from a photography standpoint, I knew this session was going to test me.
The challenge? That tattoo was the only ink she had, and it was on the back of her leg. That meant there would be no front-facing shot that could reveal it naturally. I had to get creative—and that's when the mirror came into play.
To capture the tattoo, I used a full-length mirror as a compositional tool. But simply placing a mirror in the frame isn’t enough. To use a mirror effectively in portrait photography, your angle, focus, and lighting have to work together seamlessly. I positioned the model so that her back was to the camera, and her reflection—tattoo and all—faced the lens. This allowed me to keep her expression, posture, and story all in one frame, while showcasing the tattoo in a way that felt honest and intentional.
Lighting, as always, was everything. To avoid glare and hot spots on the mirror, I used diffused side lighting at an angle. I also added a subtle backlight to bring out the texture of the tattoo in the reflection without flattening her silhouette.
What surprised me most was the technical shift I had to make. I rarely shoot portraits above f/5.6, but with this setup, I needed a deeper depth of field to ensure both the subject and her reflection were tack-sharp. I ended up shooting at f/9 to get the clarity I needed.
This shoot took longer than usual. I kept hitting roadblocks—shadows in the wrong places, missed focus in the reflection, minor distortions in the mirror. It was frustrating at times, but also incredibly rewarding. I leaned into the challenge, and it forced me to adapt and grow. That’s what this project is all about—not just telling the stories of women and their tattoos, but also pushing myself as a photographer to see things differently.
One thing I’ve learned about myself is that I rarely walk away from a shoot surprised by what I captured. I’m very in-the-moment when I shoot. I know the feeling of “that’s the shot” when it happens. This session, however, stretched me in a way that made me rethink how I approach the unexpected—and I’m better for it.
This was easily one of the most technically difficult photo sessions I’ve ever done, but also one of the most meaningful. Her tattoo wasn’t just ink—it was healing, story, and strength. And in the end, I think we captured all of that, reflected back at us.
