An Introduction to Catchlights
In this post regular DPS forum member clockdoc puts together a great introduction to Catchlights. Also a quick note of credit to jiminyClickit who helped edit the tutorial. Thanks to both of you!
Catchlights - What are they and why are they important in Portrait Photography?
A “catchlight’ is simply the highlight of a light source reflected off the surface of the eye. This highlight adds depth and dimension to the eye, and gives the eyes life in a portrait or snapshot.
Catchlights come in all shapes and sizes, depending on the shape and size of the light source, and its distance from the subject. For example, a large, round umbrella reflector will produce a larger, more pronounced catchlight than a small portable electronic flash. Many portrait photographers use a reflector placed in the lap of the subject, or in a similar position. This usually produces a larger catchlight in the lower half of the eye (often not flattering).
In portraiture, where more than one light is used, the eyes may end up showing two or more catchlights. It’s the photographer’s job to decide which ones to save and which should be removed, using photographic software such as Photoshop.
Positioning Catchlights
The position of a catch light is determined by the placement of the “key” and “fill” lights, and changes as their height and angle away from the camera lens change. A studio portrait will show the final product with a single catchlight in each eye, typically in the 10 or 2 o’clock position, created by the main (”key”) light.
The real reason for the conventional placement of catchlights at 10 or 2 o’clock is unknown, but the earliest portrait painters found that the most pleasing balance resulted when either of those positions was used.
Consider that early artists didn’t have the luxury of multiple lights in a studio, using instead the Sun or light from a large open window. The result was a single catchlight and because the Sun illuminated the subject from a high angle, the catchlight reflected from a higher spot on the eye.
Experiment with Catchlights
I encourage you to become a student of catch lights, particularly if you have a keen interest in portrait work. Experiment with removing, then adding, catchlights to the eyes in your portraits. Use different sizes and positions, and notice the effect.
Before photographic software was developed, unwanted catchlights had to be removed by “spotting,” a labor-intensive process involving a fine camel-hair brush and an assortment of dyes. Adding a catchlight was possible, but even more difficult.
Use every opportunity to study the position and shape of catchlights in other photographers’ work, and in the eyes of your friends and coworkers. Study the paintings of old master portrait artists to learn how they used light. Your portrait work will benefit from this effort.
There is no hard-and-fast rule regarding catchlights; it’s simply a matter of personal taste and preference. You will see all manner of catch light size and placement in journals and in professional portraits. There is no “better’ or ‘worse” way to place them. In fact, the only ones who probably really notice them, are photographers!
Google search has hundreds of links, found by using keywords such as: portraiture, portrait lighting, portrait photography, etc.
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January 16th, 2008 at 3:04 am
I know that this is something I need to work on in my photography, but I did get some great ‘10 o’clock’ catchlights in this closeup of my daughter’s eyes (edited to blue in Photoshop):
http://www.amatterofmemories.com/2007/04/lots-of-randomness-for-this-post.html
January 16th, 2008 at 3:09 am
Question…is there a way to ADD catchlights in Photoshop? A tutorial on this would be GREAT!!
January 16th, 2008 at 7:11 am
@ Jill wrote on January 16th, 2008 at 3:09 am
“Question…is there a way to ADD catchlights in Photoshop? A tutorial on this would be GREAT!!”
——–
It is easy Jill and like many other functions in Photoshop® There are several different ways to do this. Some like to use the Brush tool some like to use the Clone tool. My favorite is:
** Enlarge the area you wish to add catch light to (usually the eyes).
** Select the Clone tool.
** Adjust the size of the tool to the appropriate size in proportion to your enlarged area and the size of the catch light you like.
** Use the appropriate select key (In Windows it is the Alt Key). Hold down the ALT key and click your mouse on an area of the color you want (I normally choose the brightest white area of the image). You can also choose from the color palette.
** Place your cursor over the area you want to drop your highlight or catch light on and click your mouse to lay-in the cloned mark.
** Reset to full screen.
** Admire your work.
Bilka
January 16th, 2008 at 1:48 pm
Very interesting, catchlights do make a lot difference between a dull photo and a lively portrait. Without it, the eyes look lifeless and the subject hollow.
January 16th, 2008 at 2:14 pm
Good post, thanks for teaching me what a catchlight is. I really like the look of catchlights with a ring flash, I don’t see it done much.
January 17th, 2008 at 12:20 am
Clockdoc and JiminyClickit,
Thank you for this insightful tutorial. I had never really given it much thought. Thanks to your tutorial I will give this more thought the next time I have the opportunity to do a portrait setting.
- Rob -
January 17th, 2008 at 12:59 am
I took some shots at a wedding and the priest didn’t like flashes going on during the ceremony. So the catch light was added later in PS.
http://www.reddotstudio.ch/pixelpost/index.php?showimage=214&category=5
This is what I did:
1. Zoom into the eyes at 100%. Add a new layer. Then use the marquee tool to draw circles on each eye and fill it with white on the new layer
2. Then use Gaussian blur on the new layer. Adjust the amount to your liking.
3. Then reduce the opacity to make it less obvious.
January 17th, 2008 at 8:14 am
I agree with Kat…sometimes subjects can look lifeless without them, but they’re just not always easy to achieve - at least for me…
SO…thanks Bilka and hnfg for the instructions on how to add them in PS…I will have to try both options and see which works best for me. THANKS so much!
January 17th, 2008 at 1:38 pm
Wow! I have been photographing folks for years for fun and never really gave much thought to the catchlights. What a difference! I will definitely present these thoughts and methods to my high school students in our multimedia class tomorrow. I have been learning sooooo much about photography from this website. Thanks to all of you for the blogs and tutorials! You are making a difference!
January 17th, 2008 at 3:29 pm
JILL —
As our learned friend hfng will likely attest there are many ways to do the same thing in PS. Hfng and I both have our favorites for you to try but do not hesitate to play around and find something that you like as well. Good luck and have fun.
HFNG –
You have a beautiful Website and photographs!
Bilka
January 17th, 2008 at 6:23 pm
Thanks Bilka :)
January 18th, 2008 at 4:20 pm
OK I can agree with the photographer who is not allowed to use flash in church who goes to PS to create it, but apart from those very few situations I can’t understand why anyone would want to put catchlights in with PS. The challenge of photography is capturing the image via the tool in your hand, not the santized “just add water” method of PS. Call yourself “photographers”?? Yes acheiving the desired result is ellusive..it’s meant to be.
January 19th, 2008 at 3:33 am
“OK I can agree with the photographer who is not allowed to use flash in church who goes to PS to create it, but apart from those very few situations I can’t understand why anyone would want to put catchlights in with PS. The challenge of photography is capturing the image via the tool in your hand, not the santized “just add water” method of PS. Call yourself “photographers”?? Yes acheiving the desired result is ellusive..it’s meant to be.”
Wow…are we feeling a little judgemental today, Rob?? First of all, I do not call myself a “photographer”…I am just a mom who happens to enjoy taking pictures, especially of my daughter, and just want to make them as ‘pretty’ as possible to help in the recording of her life. Unfortunately, photography is not and cannot be my ‘profession’ as I work full time (40+ hours each week) outside the home, am an independent consultant on the side for a scrapbooking direct sales company and have numerous other interests in addition to photography.
I will never be a photographer, but so appreciate individuals like Bilka & hnfg (thank you, again!) who are willing to share their knowledge with the rest of us (who don’t have the time or $$ for equipment to consider themselves professional photographers) to ‘cheat’ a little now and them to ‘create’ beautiful photos to cherish with family and friends.
Sorry for my rant…I just took a little offense to that comment. I’m over it now…thanks! :-)
January 19th, 2008 at 5:09 am
“Capturing the image” involves many tools and choices that depend on what the photographer’s intentions are. The tools include the choice of film (for you old timers), camera, filters, lighting, darkroom/printing techniques and, yes, software. The image is in the photographer’s eye, not some objective reality, and how we get to it is our craft. That’s why many photographers refer to “making” photos, not “taking” photos.