ShutterGrub Loc: SoCal

5Dmii with 70-200L set at 85mm, f4, 1/100 iso 200 with a 580ex set at 1/3 pointed up with a cheapo plastic difuser. I'm not happy at all with the catch lights, what would you folks do?

Laguna Beach, Ca

Weddingguy Loc: British Columbia - Canada

The purpose of that kind of diffuser, and the practice of pointing 1/3 upwards, is to bounce the light from a ceiling with a small amount going forward to fill eye sockets. What ceiling were you bouncing from? :shock:

When you say that you are unhappy with the catch lights I assume that you would like them larger. To get larger catch lights you can do a number of things . . .
1) you could use a large reflector in close to the subject, but just out of the camera frame.
2) You could use a larger light source like a softbox, preferably off camera and again in close just out of the camera frame.
3) If you could either get the subject under a cover like a tree or under the cover of a gazebo, covered veranda, etc., or if you could get someone to hold a gobo over the head of the subject, then the light of the sky would create it's own catch light.
4) In Photoshop you can "borrow" the catchlights from another image and transplant them into the eyes of you subject.

Hope some of these ideas will help . . .

ShutterGrub Loc: SoCal

It was one of the diffusers which protrude from the flash about an inch. I was trying to get the smaller amount of light from the side of it rather than the harsher light from the front. I like the idea of stealing catchlights, I had 6 kids in this family, and I was losing light fast, so it was a choice of shoot now and fix it in post, or come back another evening. TY!

CharlieJ Loc: Southeastern USA

The fill looks good, but seems to be too low -- more pointed towards the leading hand than the face. I also agree with the idea of a soft box, close to you subject. Clamshell lighting would give you awesome catch lights in a situation like this, too.

Armadillo Loc: Ventura, CA

ShutterGrub,

You are asking about a neat enhancement that is usually obtained with indoor studio lighting equipment. For your type of capture your first priority is getting the best exposure possible with the equipment you have at hand, then introduce the enhancements in PP. You have a good overall exposure and captured the subject very well.

Depending on the photo editing software you have will depend on the easy way to add catch lights.
Check your software for "Red Eye Removal" tool. This is primarily used to remove the red eye reflections from a direct flash, but also has the ability to add, adjust, remove, and position catch lights in eyes.

If you don't have the above tool you can add catch lights manually by selecting a small circle in the pupil of one eye, set feathering for about 5px, then add a white dot, or two. The feathering should allow for softening of the white dots around the main dot.

Once you have the first eye catch light you can copy that light and paste it over the second eye. Make sure the positioning of the catch lights match the positioning of any other lighting reflected off the subject.

Michael G

pbmelvin

Here ya go !!

Catch Lights

Orig


Edit

rpavich Loc: West Virginia

I'd do one of two things:

1.) Carry a 32" reflector and bounce my flash up to my left or right at a 45 deg angle INTO the reflector to get some side lighting and catchlights.

2.) Bring a cheapie stand and umbrella or softbox and do the same thing that way.

Barring both of those, if it were me, I'd fake them in in photoshop for this particular shot and then in the future, take measures to get good lighting.

Pointing your flash up when outside doesn't cut it and having flash on your camera doesn't cut it. (generally speaking...not always)

It can be as easy as having another family member holding the flash up by hand and shooting it through a scrim...no need for stands or anything.

ShutterGrub Loc: SoCal

Great ideas. I could have done many of them if I had you all in my back pocket on the shoot. Thanks for the benefit of your experience!

Weddingguy Loc: British Columbia - Canada

:thumbup: :thumbup:

bkyser Loc: Fly over country in Indiana

Google "black foamie thing." Cheap to make and does a great job for location shoots. Pointing your flas up with nothing to bounce it off, is basically throwing light away. Diffusers work a little in the right setting, but reflectors are really the way to go. Good luck

rpavich Loc: West Virginia

You know...now that I've looked at this shot a few times, I'll suggest this.

TRY on camera flash...but just a SLIGHT BIT...enough to fill shadows and give the catch lights.

It's not necessarily the kiss of death and if you don't have any gear to get your flash off camera...give it a try.

Just use ETTL and try to change the FEC to get it so you don't look like you are flashing him.

Just a thought, I didn't want you to think that you couldn't get a good shot without buying things.

ezirider Loc: Maumelle, Ark.

My oppion and we know what they are like, the pics are very good, the fill looked good to me, it was not in a studio, the only thing would be if you wanted more in focus, but that would destract from the object of the shot.