How to get natural catchlights

[ruchika_karda]

<p>Portrait catchlights add subtle yet interesting effect to the photograph. You can arrange the studio lights and use the ring flash in studios to create catchlights, but how to shoot the natural catchlights. I suppose positioning the subject in such a way that his eyes catch the sun's reflection is the way around it. What do you say? </p>

[monika_epsefass]

<p>Are you talking about taking photos in daylight situations? Positioning your subject to reflect a bit of sunlight might be a bad idea, as s/he may squint. I propose a fill flash instead, where you use just the white reflector bit - this puts the lights where they should be.</p>

[mariosforsos]

<p>Natural light (i.e. from a large window or from the sun) has the problem that it is not so easily contained within the eye so as to create the sharp catchlight you see in studio portraits. Natural light can light the eyes, but it does so more uniformly and with far less control.</p>

<p>Believe it or not, most photographers, when using natural light, will almost always add some sort of other light source (a softbox, a bare strobe, etc) just to ensure the sparkly catchlight is there...</p>

[Mattman944]

<p>The sun's reflection might work at sunrise or sunset, but a reflector or a small flash is more versatile. </p>

<p>A ring flash makes a very unnatural catchlight IMO.</p>

<p>What should the catchlight look like? I was taught to put it at about 10, 11, 1, or 2 if you consider the eye like a clock. How many? One is best. Shape? Round or close to round, not obviously square. How big? Not a pinpoint, but not huge either. I dislike it when I can see the struts of an umbrella.</p>

<p>I like this, or twice as big as this would be fine also. </p><div></div>

[nathan_stiles]

<p>Most outdoor portraits add artificial light to balance foreground/background exposure and add depth to the subject that requires a closer/softer light source.</p>

<p>A softbox mimics the catchlight from a window and some umbrellas and BD's give a good catchlight. I personally hate the catchlight from ring flashes.</p>

[twmeyer]

<p>If you want "natural catchlights", use natural light. Pretty simple. <br /><br />I don't think "most" photographers use supplemental light with natural light *just* to get a sparkly catch light. They use natural light because it looks good... when it's available, and they use artificial light when it isn't, or when consistency is required over an extended period or a more complex lighting scheme is called for.</p>

<p>Window light can provide outstanding catchlights, all by itself... t</p><div></div>