Reflections in AI images: mirrors, windows and eyes that do not match
A reflection has to agree with the scene. Generated images often get the geometry wrong.
A real reflection is a strict copy of the world, flipped and distorted by the surface. A model draws something that looks like a reflection without computing it, so the mirrored version often disagrees with the original.
Mirrors, shop windows, puddles, sunglasses and the catchlights in eyes are good places to look. A person can face one way while their reflection faces another, or a window can reflect a street that does not exist behind the camera.
In portraits, compare the highlights in both eyes. Real catchlights come from the same light source and have the same shape. Generated eyes often have different shapes or positions in each eye.
Checklist
- Compare the object with its reflection. Same pose, same colours, same count?
- Check catchlights in both eyes for matching shape and position.
- Look for reflections that are missing where a shiny surface should show one.
False alarms
Curved glass, two-way mirrors and wet surfaces distort real reflections in ways that look wrong at first glance.
Test yourself
Put it into practice in the daily AI or Real game or the endless quiz.