Some photographic subjects resonate in the poetic sense. For example, spirals, bridges, the light at the end of the tunnel. Of course, this possible subject-matter resonance is not sufficient to create a provoking image. But many of us look for subject matter with that hint of the ineffable. I know I do.

The spiritual and the ineffable is—oddly enough—not that far from the banal. Think unicorns and rainbows. One step over the line, and you crossed over from ineffable to warm and cuddly. So to pull off a compelling image when the subject matter is one of these cliches is a balancing act indeed.

Reflections are one of those subjects that can straddle the boundary between banal and profound. To reflect is to think hard about something. Reflection involves fundamental principles of optics as well as principles of mathematics. Reflections at their best make us think differntly about the world—and maybe about ourselves!