Reflection in Eyes

[nkeevers]

I usually have to fix red eyes and that's no problem. But sometimes a person's eyes might have a little dot of white (from the flash). Does everyone usually eliminate that too? Sometimes it looks okay so I was wondering.

[Carbone]

It depends on the picture. Sometimes, it adds a little sparkling touch, a sought after effect. Some other times, it disturbs the subject.

Ray

[LeeOtsubo]

It depends on the picture. Sometimes, it adds a little sparkling touch, a sought after effect. Some other times, it disturbs the subject.

Ray

Wow! I've never had a subject complain about a catchlight. That's what adds life to eyes. Even when shooting animals and birds, I always try to include a catchlight. If the eyes are the windows to the soul, then a catchlight is a bit of the soul peeking through. I just deleted about 100 photos of birds because I missed the catchlight.

[nkeevers]

Thanks guys! I had a few portraits recently that had those "catchlights" in them and I left them there. So, I was thinking, hmmmm, should I have lightened them up? Now I'm definitely leaving them from now on. The "devil eyes" I'll take care of!:eek:

[Carbone]

Wow! I've never had a subject complain about a catchlight. That's what adds life to eyes. Even when shooting animals and birds, I always try to include a catchlight. If the eyes are the windows to the soul, then a catchlight is a bit of the soul peeking through. I just deleted about 100 photos of birds because I missed the catchlight.

If you're trying to create an "empty look" (someone whose mind is empty, sort of), then the catchlight is probably disturbing as it adds a bit of intelligence, life, brilliance.

Not every situation requires the same moulded solution. That was my point.

Ray

[Chuck S.]

Now, Ray....why would you want to portray someone as having an empty mind??

:D

Chuck

p.s. I'll remember that tip when I want to create a gag portrait of a (former) friend...

[Carbone]

It's just that I don't believe "everything must be like this or like that" kind of rules should be applied blindly. When you use too much rules, you don't express yourself, you basically show that you learned the book ;)

Ray

[ME100FINN]

I found two situations - one was with my youngest baby and I had her portraits done. There were double catchlights (two umbrella lights) in her eyes and it was way too distracting. I asked the photographer to remove them and he said her eyes would look dead without them. He did tone them down (to just one in each eye).

The second was a test with my Canon 580ex flash - I bounced the shot straight up with and without the catchlight card. My daughter's dark eyes looked ok in the first shot, but the second they "came alive" with the little sparkle.

The only time I notice the lack of/too much catchlight is when I look at a picture and say..."that doesnt look right". In other words, it has to catch my attention and it's not necessarily the first thing I look for in a photo.

That's my two cents.

[bwolford]

The rule is there are no rules.

Each image may or may not be improved by a catchlight. Gotta judge each on it's own merits. I've seen some photos with huge catchlights that are freakish. A litte restraint would have been a huge improvement. Others appear lifeless with out them. A look I don't like is the RING light. Others swear by them. You'll also hear comments about flat, broad, short, butterfly, rembrandt, blah blah blah.

Pictures are subjective and are intended should (there are no rules) say something about the subject. What they (the intended viewer about the picture) should say is "I like it!" If they say it and mean it, you succeeded.

Now back to our regularly scheduled programming.

Brice

[nkeevers]

I think I opened a can of worms with this one!:D Very interesting viewpoints and I agree. Here's the pic I was talking about. The girl on the left and the guy I am leaving the catchlight in. The girl on the right I have no clue how to fix, especially since I'm having trouble with that little area of reflection in the inside corner of her left eye. Course I'm using my new pen and it's not doing what I want it to do.

And how do you like that light in the back - looks like a hat getting ready to be put over her head. I want to clone it out but is there a faster way? Maybe copy and paste?

http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1GOrr2Xr3DRyHBBVmi4Fth9yVJoIH_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1GOrr2Xr3DRyHBBVmi4Fth9yVJoIH)

[ME100FINN]

Norma, to fix the glare in the eyeglasses there, give the clone stamp a try. Change the mode to "Darken" and then select about 10-13% to start.

As for the wall, I saw a neat trick recently - create a solid color layer that is custom, using a point from the back wall. Using a mask, only "paint in" the lamp area and maybe even the other distracting items behind the people. Otherwise, the clonestamp on a NEW layer with the "select from all layers" option checked. That way if you mess up you can just delete the layer and start again.

[nkeevers]

I do usually use the clone stamp but I'm having trouble with that inner corner for some reason.

Thanks for the other tip on the lamp. I'm not an expert yet but I'll give it a try.

[Chuck S.]

Beatrice, that's a neat technique for cloning without the clone stamp - thanks!

Chuck

[nkeevers]

Beatrice, I'm not sure what you mean by getting the color by pointing at the wall. Can you explain in more detail so I can try it out? Thanks.

[Wendy]

Hi Norma ...

Use the colour oicker on the wall to get the same colour :)

Wendy

[nkeevers]

I'll try this afternoon and get back to you! I'm on my way out to buy a new washer/dryer...mine just konked out in mid wash!! It's fairly old and I might as well bite the bullet.

[frank abramonte]

Norma, I remember reading an article written by a photographer where he always put 2 catchlights in the eye. That he said brought the photo to life, if I find it I'll pass it on.
Check out your retouched photo:

http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1U5wIPIsPwwLXlHXxPB2Wm7BNCUwL1

[Ward Grant]

Beatrice-a nice trick with the new layer/mask on the background. I played around some with the picture of the forum. I also played around with the new layer being a gradient, picking darkest/lightest colors from the wall.

Thanks for the tip.

[nkeevers]

Frank, great job with her eye! I got rid of the light but am having trouble with the eye. I've used the clone for the glasses but I can't seem to get my pen to work with that white area. Did you do it differently?

[Fstop]

Norma, here is my attempt at fixing the pic. As best I could, I tried to fix the right eye of the girl. I then borrowed some light from the guy to add a little catchlight to the girl's eyes. I then selected all the eyes of the three people and sharpened them a bit. I got rid of the light by selecting portion of the wall, then CTRL J to put it on it's own layer, then I used the move tool to move the selection into place to cover the lamp. You have to do this is pieces but it I think it looks better than cloning.


http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1wUObMw7Ns99H0wFwajSNJrZ9KKvp1_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1wUObMw7Ns99H0wFwajSNJrZ9KKvp1)

[frank abramonte]

I thought I had posted this before, but I don't see it so I'll post it again.

Norma:
1: I used the marque tool to select a portion of both the light and dark background (just above their heads).
2. I started moving selection up while holding down the option key so that it left the grey background behind. I used the sharp line between the colors to keep my alignment.
3. When this was done, I painted over the part of the light that was still showing with a matching dark grey color. This was done so that the entire left side would be about the same color and could be selected with the magic wand set at a tolerance of ten.
4. The left side originally was a blend. I took a sampling of the dark and light and blended that portion.
5. The eye. With the lasso tool I selected just that portion of the right eye, moved it over to the left eye and flipped it horizontally. I then scaled it a bit to better match the left eye, moved it into position and that was that.
6. Finally I slightly neutralized the overall photo.
Hope my explanation is understandable and that you like your photo.