A “catchlight’ is the reflection of a light source in a photographed eye.  Catchlights are important in photography, because they give the eye "life."  They often add depth and dimension.

Catchlights are dependent upon the size of the light source and how far it is from the subject.  In studio portraits, where more than one light may be used, more than one catchlight will show up on the surface of the eye. It is the job of the photographer to decide which catchlight to keep and which to remove in post processing.

For humans, catchlights should be at 10 or 2 o'clock positions in the eye (pick one, never both).  However, in animals, catchlight reflections are a different matter.  An animal's eye reflects light differently than a human eye.

In my portrait of a sheep, above, you can see how different the eye is, with a more elongated pupil.  In a pen full of sheep, with its back to the light source, I used a reflector to grab the small catchlight you see just below the lashes.  Without it, this profiled eye might look "dead" in comparison.  The catchlight gives the eye depth and shows you that this sheep was very interested in my reflector.

When outside in nature with dogs, the results can often be too much reflection, especially if the sun is bright.  I will often look for a shady place where the dog is looking toward the sunny area, in order to capture good catchlights.  I am always checking to see the type of reflection I am getting in a dog's eyes when I am doing photos in nature.

Even then, due to the dog's unique eye configuration, you may get a smaller reflection in one eye than another.  I will usually leave the catchlights in this smaller-to-larger framework, even though I know some photographers prefer to make both catchlights the same size.  I just think this is more natural to the dog when it happens.

In a studio environment, where I can control all of the lighting, catchlights become easier to control and position.  In the photo of Lilah below, you can see the catchlights are evenly spaced and sized based on the type of lighting I used, and its placement.

Since becoming a professional photographer in 2012, I have been unable to stop myself from looking at and analyzing catchlights in human and animal eyes on a daily basis.  But, what that has helped me do is really look people in the eye when I speak to them.  I also watch the lighting of eyes in movies very closely, and often miss something that's said due to being so engrossed in analyzing the light reflections. 

The circle is packed with more insight on catchlights and more great photographers, so head on in and check out the lovely photos to follow.  Start here with Linda Perdue from VP Shoots Photography, Tampa, Florida.  Have a great one!

Oh where to begin on this subject.  There is so much to talk about.  From the type of lens you use to what you leave in your image and what you take out.  It's at least an hour conversation, maybe more.

Does anyone remember Father Guido Sarducci and his Five Minute University? (He was one of my most favorite Saturday Night Live characters.  Look him up on YouTube.  You will be glad you did.) Well, I need him right now to condense this down to a few easy sentences.

Basically:  Use a lens that will allow you to fill the frame of your photo.  Remember, a 50mm lens is the standard "what-we-see-with-our-own-eyes" lens, so lenses below 50mm are wide angle (we can fit more into the photo with a wide angle lens).  You can still fill your frame with a wide angle and close up work, but your photo will have distortion. Sometimes you may want distortion for a different look.  Sometimes you may not.  Choose accordingly.  Telephoto lenses can also help you get what you want in the frame by zooming in closer to the subject.  They are good if you don't want to disturb your subject, like with the photo of Lilah, hiding from winter, above. 

Understand: You may cut off elements of  your subject to fill the frame.

In the black and white photo above, of Danny, I wanted the result to be all about his eyes and nose.  The fact that I have cut off the top of his head and most of the rest of his body is of no circumstance.  This photo would not be the same if I included the rest of Danny in the frame.  It is all about CHOOSING what you want to be your focus and then acting on that thought with your camera and lens choice.

Both of the above photos are older photos I had taken that I felt were good examples of this week's topic.  Below are the photos I took after our snow storm this past week.  Lilah, our snowbunny, is demonstrating the original photo, which shows way too much yard fence and other distractions, and then the cropped down, frame-filling version, which focuses more on her as the subject.

You can see how filling the frame can definitely help a photo keep your eye on the prize!

I am so excited to say the blog circle has grown 26 arms this week, so you will have many examples and beautiful photos to look at as you read through.  Have a wonderful weekend, and be sure to give us feedback when you can.  We photographers LOVE LOVE LOVE feedback on our images!  Start here with John Bouma of MaxNorman Pet Photography in South Florida.

I want to make it perfectly clear that rule of thirds has nothing to do with how many times you go back in line for food. There.  Now that is out of the way and we can move forward.

Rule of Thirds is a principle of photography that involves the use of a grid with intersecting lines.

The grid helps a photographer to organize a photo and make it more interesting.  Typically, placing the subject along the left or right vertical thirds and/or the top and bottom horizontal thirds, is said to make a composition more pleasing.  Should you use rule of thirds every single time you compose a photo?  No.  But it does help to weed out what should and shouldn't be left in the image.

Let me use the examples of Fable, who visited me in the studio, to illustrate.

In the photo above, Fable is placed along the left vertical third of the image.  I believe this made the photo a bit more interesting and edgy, rather than just having Fable in the middle of the settee.  Fable actually picked that spot, which made it even better, but the photograph was originally much wider and larger and I cropped it down so that Fable would land on the left vertical lines.

Now check out the photo below.

In this photo I would get extra points for having Fable's left eye fall directly on the quadrant left line.  I would not get extra points for cutting off his paws.  The back line of the settee seat actually falls along the horizontal grid line.

If you are someone who needs symmetry, you will not like this photo, because you will want the other arm of the settee to appear in it.  In the case of this photo, I did not crop it down.

Sometimes when you have a new, nervous or fast-moving dog in a studio environment, you are not always guaranteed you will get every body part.  I am always focused in on the eyes, the area between the eyes and the bridge of the nose.

In any case, Fable is a beautiful boy.  Gotta love those expressive ears!

I am sure you will see many more examples in today's circle.  There are again quite a number of participants.  Sit back, relax and enjoy all the photos!  Start here with Elayne Massaini, pet photographer in Sao Paulo, Brazil.  Have a great weekend.  I am guessing I would love to have Elayne's weather right about now.

I have often thought of Winter as a blank slate.  It's one of the reasons that, even though I have been heard to complain about cold temperatures, too much snow and icy roads, I have a deep respect for the season.

Winter is like a good cleansing.  The season's starkness is not for the faint of heart.  Neither is it's darkness.

We start from scratch in Winter.  We hope whatever it has covered over will burst forth again in the Spring. It often does, and more beautifully than we remember it over the six cold months that often make up Northeastern Pennsylvania's snowy season.

I was watching the birds at our feeders yesterday, and decided that they knew quite a bit more than I did about Winter.  They do not seem daunted by it at all. 

The birds puff themselves up against the cold winds, and remember who fed them last year.  They find cubbies and nooks to hide in, then happily go about their business of cracking open black sunflower seeds and chasing away competitors.

I love birds.  I think we can learn a lot from them. They have no guarantees that they will find a goody under that blank slate of white snow, yet it doesn't stop them from searching.  Because ultimately, they know they will find what they are looking for, and that instinct serves them well. Our feathered friends are great examples of faith--that things will eventually be in their favor.

I am still a part of the blog circle: Project 52.  This year I have decided to forego that header and instead just concentrate on the theme.  I may not participate every single week this year, but instead throw in some other blogs on topics I would like to cover outside of the blog circle.

We have MANY new participants in the blog circle.  I encourage you to explore it, this first posting in January, to see what other photographers have to offer in the interpretation of the theme.  Start here with Tim Evans of Tim Evans Photography, serving Hattiesburg and the rest of the southern Mississippi region.  Tim is a new member.  WELCOME Tim!

(P.S.  If you find that some links do not work at first, come back later in the day. When new members join, we have to work the bugs out, but things are usually back to normal after a few hours.)

#blankslate, #birdsinwinter, #igottheshotphotography