pools of water in the forest are prone to collecting diverse natural debris on the surface. there is almost no wind in the forest because of all the trees so the water is almost perfectly still. from a distance there are clearly some specs and fragments floating on the water but it doesn't seem to distort the reflected image more than the mind almost automatically filters out.
the closer one gets to the water the more obvious the debris becomes at the same time the reflected image becomes distinctly more distorted. it is much like viewing an impressionist painting- distorted when seen close up but increasingly clear as distance increases. the similarity is so striking that it made me wonder if this has anything to do with the origins of impressionist painting
so i consulted Google AI and got this answer:
Yes, the distortions of reflected images on the surface of water are directly linked to the core origins and technical breakthroughs of Impressionism. When pioneering artists like Claude Monet and Pierre-Auguste Renoir began developing the style in the late 1860s, studying water became their ultimate laboratory for shattering traditional academic rules. source Encyclopedia Britannica
so there we have it: impressionist photography
i took these photos with my S22 phone on a walk in the Vestmarka forest in Larvik, Norway
happy hunting
