How can I add a reflection to my product photo using AI?

Quick Answer

A convincing reflection depends on the surface material, the light direction, and the geometry of the product, so the reliable approach is to generate the reflection as part of the lit scene rather than flip the image in post. In Nightjar you can either generate a fresh shot with a reflective surface baked into the photographic look, or take a photo you already have and add the reflection in plain English from the Edit tab.

Why reflections are harder than they look

Reflections are not flipped images. They follow the surface and the light.

• Material: Glass, polished wood, water, and lacquered tile each return light differently.
• Geometry: Curved or textured products distort what is reflected.
• Angle: Camera angle and product position decide what shows up in the reflection at all.

Why a flipped-and-faded Photoshop reflection falls short

Flipping the product layer and lowering opacity ignores the surface. The result reads flat: it does not pick up color from the floor, does not soften with distance, and does not match the lighting in the rest of the scene.

Option 1: generate the reflection from the start

When you are creating a new shot, build the reflection into the scene by guiding the photographic look. Nightjar uses a reusable visual direction called a Photography Style that controls camera, lighting, mood, and color across a Generation, so the reflection is produced by the lit scene rather than added on top.

1. Upload the product into the Product Listing Image Workflow.
2. Pick a Photography Style with the surface you want, such as a glass tabletop or polished studio Style from the 150+ curated Styles, or build a Custom Photography Style from one or more reference photos that already carry the reflection language.
3. Refine with Custom Directions if needed. These are short, written instructions that sit on top of the Style, for example "on a reflective glass table" or "polished walnut desk, soft mirror reflection underneath."
4. Generate. The reflection is rendered as part of the scene and picks up the product's underside, color, and surrounding light.

Option 2: add a reflection to a photo you already have

When you already have a product photo, the Edit tab is a plain-English, multi-image surface where you reference your image directly in the prompt. Add the photo to the board and write something like "add a soft mirror reflection on the surface beneath the product, matching the existing light direction." Nightjar rewrites the surface as a lit material rather than pasting a flipped duplicate, which is what keeps the reflection from looking like a sticker.

Keeping reflections consistent across a catalog

Because surface and lighting live inside the Photography Style, the same Style applied across products keeps reflection character aligned. Save the full setup, including Style, Composition, Background, and output settings, as a Recipe (a Team-owned saved Create-form setup) so the same reflective treatment applies across a full catalog of perfume, jewelry, or electronics shots from one click.