What are catchlights? And what is the best way to harness eye light in your photos? We’ve got plenty of photography tips and tricks for those who wish to capture the humanity of the subject above all else.
What Is Catchlight Photography?
Catchlight photography is a style of portraiture that hones in on one facet of portrait photography in particular: catchlights in the eyes, also known as eye light.
Eye light is the industry term for the bright, specular reflections that call attention to the eyes of the person that you’re photographing. In a traditional sense, the eyes are the most important aspect of any portrait—they should be clear, adequately illuminated, and in perfect focus. Catchlight only adds to the drama, compelling us to lock eyes with the person depicted and never let go.
Catchlight is the perfect way to intensify any narrative scene. It’s also an excellent spotlight to cast when highlighting the natural beauty of any subject, human, animal, or even insect or arachnid. The eyes read pure and true. They flash and sparkle, charming us into submission.
How to Capture Eye Light: Catchlight Photography Tips and Tricks
Eye lights aren’t complicated. The surface of the eye works just like any ordinary convex, fisheye mirror, or marble. Pulling the catchlights out of them will be a matter of camera placement and exposure compensation. You want these reflections to be as bright as possible when compared to the rest of the portrait.
We love using broad sources that are both extremely strong and extremely diffuse when utilizing catchlight in our own portrait photography. LED screens, the sky, reflectors, and windows are all great places to start. Again, proper placement is key. You can use anything bright or close enough to create eye light reflections.
A few tips and tricks for capturing catchlights in the subject’s eyes:
For prominent eye light, position the subject so that they’re facing your source of light head-on. You’re more likely to see a source of light in the eyes of your subject when it’s off-axis by about 45 degrees relative to the camera’s angle of incidence. This can be above, below, or to the side. Supplementing your setup with a reflector from below will usually give you some extra catchlight under any circumstances. Your catchlights will take on the shape of the source, whatever it may be. Window eye light, for example, will take the form of a square in the eyes of the subject, while reflectors will create circular eye light, and so on. A dark room and a nearby window on an overcast day is one surefire way to some of the most romantic and sensual eye light that you stand to find as a photographer. It’s an intimate and subtle look that we love. Lighting and shooting from above will usually put you in a great position for eye lights. The eyes widen when they look up from below, which equates to more catchlight real estate for you. Enhancing eye light in post-production is always an option; brightening them is one simple way to do it. Nailing eye highlights on-set is always ideal, however. You shouldn’t really try to make “bigger” eye lights in Photoshop. A minute tweaking of the lighting will be an investment in the quality of the photo.
You can source your catchlights from anywhere; it really boils down to a matter of configuration when all is said and done. Just keep experimenting until you find the results that you’re after. It’s an incredibly easy way to make every photo more exciting.
Capture the Light in Their Eyes
Catchlights in eyes is one of the best ways to celebrate the most emotive and human aspect of any face. It’s a universal photography technique that every portrait stands to benefit from. To give any selfie, headshot, or candid portrait an instant upgrade, try to work in a bit of eye light the next time you’re stuck for an idea.
