diamond eyes
I've always wondered - Kate and others - how do you capture those close up shots where your kids' eyeballs are reflecting the light like shiny, glassy windows? It's so beautiful, how do you do that? ~ Sarah
After she captured this gorgeous portrait of Evan a few years ago, I asked the very same question of photographer and friend Jeanette LeBlanc. Here's what she said.
In your portraits, subjects' eyes are watery, reflective pools. How do you capitalize on catchlights?
It's all about the light, and training yourself to make the most of it by how you position both yourself and your subject. Take an agreeable subject (probably not a two year old!) and position them outside in open shade. Circle around them, watching the shape and position of the light reflecting in their eyes.
Since then, I am a catchlight hound. An SLR complete with juicy, catchlight-loving lenses helps (the nifty fifty, Canon's highly affordable fixed 50mm, excels at this -- I wrote about it over at the Atlantic Photo Blog).
In portraiture, my number one priority is strong eyes. That's where the soul lives. The moment I settle in to capture a portrait, the very first thing I do is adjust my position and the subject's position to capitalize on that sparkle. You'll see it, as Jeanette describes -- when your subject faces away from the light, their eyes will lack energy. From the correct angle, they'll reflect energy.
Accurate focus is critical. I set my camera to focus to a single point in the centre of the frame. I grab the eyes with that single focal point, then hold down the shutter halfway to freeze it, then I recompose the shot. Easier said than done with a toddler who's tackling you for marshmallows.
Some light lends itself to catchlights. Seek it out. I avoid shooting in direct sunlight, and always choose diffused light for portraits. I'm going to show you more of Ben, because Ben was born with natural elephantitis of the eyeballs. Not a word of a lie. Some people have big, shiny eyeballs, and some people have eyes that are more deep-set. To capture them, you'll need to be especially diligent to get them from the right angle. But Ben? Yeah. Ben, especially when he was stationary, tends towards catchlight obscenity.
Seek out shade, especially underneath trees.
Our screened-in porch is catchlight-rich.
Indoors, place your subject next to a plentiful source of natural light -- the closer, the better. When Ben was confined to his highchair (as opposed to tackling me mid-shot for marshmallows), I was positively catchlight drunk in the kitchen window. I'd drag him over until he was perhaps only a foot or two away from the light source, and I'd chirp and coo and click my tongue and he'd just sit there and gape at me.
Find someone with big, shiny eyeballs. Put them in the shade. Get close, and open up your aperture to blur the background. Make sure they're hungry, and then dangle a spoonful of applesauce just out of their reach. Or something like that.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Reader Comments (6)
For learning light and mastering catchlights: - if willing subject unavailable, get a pair of marbles, hold them in your hand just so and then go play to your hearts desire (no bribery necessary to keep a pair of marbles interested, unlike rambunctious two year old).
Reflection works the same regardless of which glassy surface you're working with, and if you play with the marbles in enough lighting circumstances you'll be ready to go once you get an actual real life person and a camera.
Plus, you've got two marbles...which might be just enough bribery to keep that two year old interested enough to get him positioned just so - and your killer portrait is born.