Catchlights

[candidrachel]

How do you get those wonderful large catchlights in kids eyes? I've seen some wonderful shots on here in SYS but don't know if I can achieve that with my 430ex speedlight without having tiny pin dots. I want a reflection of a window and what about outside? Is it using reflectors that achieve them?

Thanks!

[Swisstony10]

To get the catchlights nice and big, then you need a bigger light source, or a light source very close to the eyes that are reflecting it, or both.

It's because the reflective surface is a convex one. Get a soup-spoon and look at the back of it - if you do it in the afternoon, and look at the reflection of a window (even a good-sized window), then you'll see that you need to be pretty close to the window in order for it to take up a large portion of the back of the spoon.

Personally, I get big catchlights by using a nice good-sized reflector or a soft-box (or just a big brolly), positioned fairly close to the subject's face.. A neat trick is to use a really big softbox, and put a cross of wide tape on it, so that the catchlight looks like a window.

Russ.

[kencaleno]

Use a broken rectangular photoshop brush in white

[OsmosisStudios]

Originally Posted by kencaleno

Use a broken rectangular photoshop brush in white

Yeah..... No.

[SusanH1970]

Originally Posted by OsmosisStudios

Yeah..... No.

Agreed. Fake catchlights look, well, fake. And tacky as hell.

Rachel - when shooting outdoors, use a reflector or have your kids looking slightly up to get the reflection of the sky in their eyes. Don't shoot in full, bright sun, the light is too harsh, and you get squinty eyes with no light in them. Overcast days or open shade are good, as is shooting late in the day when the sun is low in the sky.

Indoors, have your child sit at about a 45 degree angle to a window, use a reflector to fill in shadows on the opposite side.

Before you press the shutter button, look at their eyes - you don't even need your camera to see light in the eyes.

Hope this helps.

[RLucas]

Originally Posted by kencaleno

Use a broken rectangular photoshop brush in white

I would rather have hollowed out holes for eyes than do this.

[BigFuzzy]

Originally Posted by kencaleno

Use a broken rectangular photoshop brush in white

Ken, please show me a link to a photo (relatively largish) in which you did this. I don't get what you mean and some visuals would help me understand how this has worked for you since you proposed it. Thanks, that's be great!

[candidrachel]

Thanks for the replies. What type of reflector do you use Susan - gold, siver or white? I went on Amazon and there is such an array in different sizes!

[Swisstony10]

As a fellow Brit, I feel obliged to point you at one of the reflectors I use - WexPro 110cm 5-in1 Reflector (110cm5in1) - Warehouse Express

With a diameter of 110cm, it's pretty big, but I like that, and with the 5 different surfaces, I've got pretty much ever base covered. I even use the black side sometimes to swallow unwanted reflections. Using it as a translucent sheet is handy too, to create the same effect as open shade. Looks like Warehouse Express are out of stock of it at the moment, but they have Interfit's 32-inch version for £26.99. I can't vouch for the quality of that one though, as I've never seen/used it.

The WexPro one is pretty good, although it can be a bit of a fiddle to get some of the covers back on it again when you change surfaces. As with everything, after a bit of practice (and swearing) you soon get the hang of it.

Russ.

[BigFuzzy]

Originally Posted by candidrachel

Thanks for the replies. What type of reflector do you use Susan - gold, siver or white? I went on Amazon and there is such an array in different sizes!

I bought one that had the description as follows:
43" 5 in 1 Light Mulit Collapsible disc Reflector 110cm

It cost my 8.99usd before shipping which they did ship to here (Holland). And it's served me well so far. If you use those terms to search, you'll see various options. I think it's a good starting option to see how/if you'll use reflectors.

Good luck!