Being able to capture catchlights in your subject eyes in portrait photography can really make or break your photo. They can make your portrait look dazzling or just plain dull. Do you know how to make sure you catch them in your subjects? It’s not as hard as you might think and there’s a few ways to do it (and a few ways to watch out for!) Watch me in action below or read through to see how YOU can get those sparking catchlights!
Catchlights are those little white flecks of light in the eyes. They makes the eyes appear sparkly, give them dimension and overall brightness. Once you master the art of the catchlight, you will see a dramatic improvement in your photos! ( All photos below shot with a Canon Rebel t3i and 50mm 1.8– very little to no editing on any photos)
Face the Light
This is the most important step. If your subject is facing the light, it will reflect right back into their eyes. Look below. In the first photo she is facing the natural light source head on. Look how gorgeous the light is in her eyes!
In this photo, she faces the light, but at a 90 degree angle This helps with an added element of creativity and a slightly different look while still keeping those catchlights at the sides of her eyes!
In this next photo, she does a complete 180 and is now facing the door with her back to the light source. Look how dark the eyes are in the second photo( and really how dark the whole photo is)
Use A Reflector
If you’re backlight light your photo, (which is really beautiful) sometimes we miss those catchlights because, well, the light is in back of the subject. To pop in those catchlights, just use a reflector to bounce that light back into your subjects eye. {Need a crash course on using a reflector? Come watch and read Exactly How To Use A Reflector}
Be Purposeful
This seems like no brainer, but it needs to be mentioned. Just take your time. Be purposeful. Step back and really look into the eyes. Are they dark and dull or do you see that sparkle?! If you see that sparkle the camera will too!
Now you give it a try! Take your time and really watch for those catchlights!? If you do try this or ANY of my tutorials, I absolutely love seeing your results and progress, tag me on Instagram @cozyclicks so I can see what you’ve got!
If this helped you out today, I would LOVE to hear from you, leave me a quick comment below to let me know what you think!
I will most definitely be using these tips when I am out taking photos of my kids and others as I get my hobby photography off the ground. I am from Indiana
Awesome! Love to hear that Stacey! You’ll do great! And I grew up in MI, so Midwest neighbors ??
Wonderfully concise! I’ll be sharing with my group of 30+ volunteer amateur photographers for our school yearbook. Nearly everyone uses point and shoot cameras or auto settings (with zero post production) It’s especially challenging to find any information to help them improve their photos. This is an easy AND easy to remember tip that will without a doubt yield great results for them. The happier they are with their photos, the more eager they will be to continue helping out. And, they’ll get some great photos of their kids in the process. Thanks very very much!
You are so welcome Michelle! I hope this helps all of them! It should make a big difference – even for beginners!