[clockdoc]

Hi all,
Catchlights add life and sparkle to the eyes. There are probably times when they are not needed and should not be applied wholesale. However, I feel it is always better to experiment with adding them when there are none and see for yourself. It all boils down to a matter of personal taste. If you also look at the works of the old master portrait painters, you will find that a high percentage always added the catchlight to the eyes. However, since they painted by the light od larhe open windows, their catchlight shapes may be different shapes and not the round ones (from the shape and size of reflectors used) we see in photographs.

I mentioned in another posting that you can use as many lights on your subject as you need but there should only be one catchlight in each eye, typically at the 2 or 10 o'clock position. If the eyes have no catchlights, I will used white or a light tint of color with a small soft brush in Photoshop to place a light in each eye using the pupil as a guide if visible. By that I try to place the catchlight on the perimeter of the pupil where it meets the iris. You will find that some studios use large umbrella lights and will leave the large catchlights in the eyes. Again it is a matter of personal preference. Study how these lights appear and see what works best for you. Please let me know if you have any questions.