How To Take A Mirror Picture Without Seeing The Camera

Tradexcel Graphics

7 minutes To Read

How To Take A Mirror Picture Without Seeing The Camera

When checking amazing mirror pictures where the camera is visible, you might get some questions. Like how to take a mirror picture without seeing the camera? And how does it work? Today we will reveal it in detail.

You get mirror images of yourself without the camera when you follow our simple tricks. The photo would give you the feel as if the camera is invisible.

The result of the process is so satisfying and creates great attention from the viewers. 

To surprise everyone, you need a bit of preparation and editing. Let’s get in.

Equipment To Create Mirror Picture

Someone might say you may need a DSLR high-end camera to create mirror pictures. But in reality, you only need a decent camera like a smartphone camera. Hence, you only need a camera for equipment to create a mirror picture.

Other than a DSLR camera, you only need a clean mirror to create these pictures. Make sure the mirror is set in a well-lit place. The mirror should be cleaner, and everything should be visible. Hence, it would provide you with a better image altogether.  

How To Take A Mirror Picture Without Seeing The Camera

Below are the steps you should follow to create a hidden camera mirror photography. These steps are easy to follow, and anyone can easily go through them. Let’s get started.

Step 1: Set the camera. As a first step, you need to be mindful of camera settings. If you are using the DSLR lens, follow the mentioned settings. 

Set the aperture anywhere between f9 to f15. Plus, adjust the white balance according to the scene you are shooting. On the other hand, make sure to use a timer to avoid a camera shake.

Step 2: Select the part of the mirror you want to shoot in. Afterward, standing in front of the mirror with ample distance. Once you find the perfect spot, take your DSLR or smartphone camera

First, take the camera with your right hand and capture a still picture. Ensure you have firm access to the shutter button without distorting the image. After taking the first picture, take your camera to the other hand. Now capture the image on the left hand like the first picture. 

As the last step, place your camera right in front of your chest and take a clear photo of your face in the mirror. In the end, you mix these pictures to create a photo where the camera is not showing. We are going to show you the editing steps in the next section.

Editing Steps For Mirror Picture 

Editing Steps For Mirror Picture

In the following section, we use Photoshop to mix and blend the three photos you took. As a result, you would get an image that does not feature a camera. Instead, it looks smooth and natural, as if the camera wasn’t there. 

Step 1: First, open 3 of your images on Photoshop. Make sure to layer them on top of another.

Step 2: Right now, use the built-in layer mask feature to mask the right portion of your right-handed image. It cut out half of the image which contains the camera. As a result, you could see half of the other pictures on the screen.

Note: You will find the layer mask option at the bottom part of the Layers panel in the Photoshop interface. Make sure to select the layer before you apply the mask.

Step 3: Select the brush tool on Photoshop from the left toolbar. Or press “B” on the keyboard as a shortcut. Afterward, select black as a foreground color. While selecting the brush, start brushing on the portion you want to remove.

Step 4: Now, add the photo where your face is clear and visible. Afterward, place your face in the right place of the image. Make sure your face sits in the correct place and looks seamless and smooth. 

In the end, you get a mirror photo where the camera is not visible at all. Hence, you need better Photoshop skills to blend three different photos. Either do it yourself or hire anyone for the photo editing task.

Retouching Steps To Improve The Mirror Picture 

Even though you could use several image retouching steps, below are the essential ones. Following these steps lead you to a better image at the end. Perhaps, you need software such as Photoshop to apply these retouching effects.

Remove Unwanted Spots

If your mirror features any unwanted spots, clean it up with a spot healing tool in Photoshop. You will find the spot healing brush tool at the left toolbar or press Shift + J to get the spot healing brush. After selecting the tool, keep brushing over the spot with the right brush size.

Fix Clothing Wrinkles 

Your clothing might feature some wrinkles, and you should remove them. To remove them, you may need to use Photoshop tools such as patch tools, Content-Fill Aware, and similar ones. The main idea is to remove the clothing wrinkles. Plus, you need to fill the area with matching texture.

Alternative Method Of Picturing Without Showing The Camera

Let’s talk about some of the alternative methods of photographing mirror pictures. This option doesn’t require any kind of editing and retouching process. Hence, you won’t need to hire someone for Photoshop tasks. These are the process:

  • Shoot the image in a direction where the camera is not visible. Like you could place the camera on a 45 angle. It lets you take mirror pictures without capturing the camera itself.
  • Or use a title/shift lens to capture the mirror image without capturing the camera itself. But buying one would be a bit expensive.

Frequently Asked Question

These are the questions that might come into your mind when taking photos in the mirror.

How To Take A Mirror Picture On An iPhone?

To take mirror pictures on an iPhone, configure your camera in the following way. First, turn the rule of third settings in the camera settings. Then, make sure to add a timer like 5 seconds to avoid any sort of camera shake. Plus, adjust the brightness of the image as well. 

Will Tilt/Shift Lens Be Enough To Create A Mirror Picture?

Yes, Tilt/Shift lenses are enough to create a mirror picture. In addition, it could let you shift the lens a bit, providing you with a range of areas to capture. But one downside of it is that learning to use it takes a bit of time.

How To Take A Floating Phone Mirror Selfie?

Before taking the photo, place a protective cover on your phone. Plus, have a protective floor cushion where your phone will fall. Finally, open the camera, press the shutter button, and leave your phone on air. However, we don’t suggest you perform this mirror photography as it might damage your phone.

Conclusion

Now you know how to take a mirror picture without seeing the camera. Hence, make sure you take the mirror photos with patience. Proper mirror photos would let you create surprising effects as if the camera did not exist in the photo at all.

Perhaps, don’t get too stressed on the editing and retouching part. 

Photoshop is easy enough to learn. But, if it seems too complicated, better lend the help of someone who knows Photoshop. Or you could hire a service provider as well.

Either way, keep the whole process simple, and the result would be a seamless mirror photo.