joe_austin1 Posted January 24, 2000 Share Posted January 24, 2000 What is the general wisdom regarding catchlights in the eyes of subjects in wildlife photography? Are they necessary for marketable photos? I have seen most with, but some without. I have also found that on occasion ( when using flash ) I do not get a catchlight when I think that I should. Is it possible that to much under compensation ( I was using -1.7) would cause the loss of the catch light? Thanks, Joe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobatkins Posted January 25, 2000 Share Posted January 25, 2000 I'm sure catchlights give you an edge. If you had otherwise identical photos, one with and one without catchlights, which would you pick? They're not necessary but they are desirable.If a shot is good enough or unusal/rare enough, it may not matter. Of course you can now add them digitally if you must. There are ethical issues involved, but if it's bread on the table, some people understandably compromise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryan_taylor1 Posted January 25, 2000 Share Posted January 25, 2000 In general, I find that catch lights in the eye make the photo much more appealing. However, the amount of improvement the catch light makes depends on the animal. For example, many of my photos of royal terns shot in the winter don't have a catch light in the eye and I think the photos are fine. This is because the eye is surrounded by white feathers. On the other hand, my photos of sooty terns and black skimmers that lack catch lights I find are very poor. The black eye becomes completely lost in the black feathers of the head. So I think that the amount of appeal depends on the subject. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now