Catchlights

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!