Dan Mc Loc: NM

A very simple solution is to simply, for just the short few minutes to do the shoot, replace here glasses with empty frames. Many pharmacies have boxes to recycle frames, just get something similar and reflection is no longer an issue!

johnt56942

That is great you volunteer. I have some experience in dealing with those type of mental conditions. You have plenty of time before Christmas. Some days are better then others. Then maybe in some situations that is the best the patient can do. I do not know her. You have plenty of time to keep trying though Just see what time of day she is more responsive. God Bless

dixiebeachboy

Can you post one of your pic's? What are you shooting with ? How far are you from your subject? Have you tried a diffuser on your own camera flash?

GoofyNewfie Loc: Kansas City

In the opening post:

dixiebeachboy

I understand HIPPA, sorry! More interested in the lens & your distance from the subject. I have been a portrait photographer for 45 years just trying to help but need to know a little bit more than what you're showing

Norm W. Loc: Southern CA

If you can get another opportunity to do the portrait try lifting the bows of the glasses up off the ears about half in. to one in.This challenges the angle of the lenses and will eliminate reflection and is not noticeable in the image.
Of course this will not correct the tint issue, you will have to correct that in post processing the best way possible.
Good luck with your commendable project.

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

Really folks- it's all in the lighting! We do this just about every day in my studio- folks wear eyeglasses! So here's the drill.

There are a number of issues that should be considered. Folks who usually wear their eyeglasses become familiar, recognizable and natural to there friends, families, loved ones and business associates with their eyeglass in place! Since one of the basic attributes of a good portrait is a good likeness, simply removing the glasses for a portrait is not the best approach.Portrait photograhers need to know exactly how to cope with eyeglasses.

The there is the issue of style- folks are fussy about the look of their eye-wear. If blank frames are used they shoud be the same style of as the subject's actual frames. Since most portrait sittings are planned in advance, we ask the client to make arrangements with their optical supplier to borrow a blank frame of the appropriate style. In some cases we can temporarily remove the lenses at the studio. With frame-less glasses, we use a thin wire frames to proximate the actual style.

In some cases, however, it is best to leave the eyeglasses intact and deal with the reflections by means of correct lighting. Some folks become disoriented without their eyeglasses and the squint, stare or strain their eyes in reflexively trying to focus- this causes unflattering expressions. By either tilting the eyeglasses SLIGHTLY downward and/or raising the main light to the point where the reflections are no longh visible from the correct camera height. It's a very precise adjustment in that if the light is too high, the eyes will not be properly illuminated for sufficient shadow detail and good "sparkle" and catch-lights. If it too low, the reflections will appear.

Attached are some images- no radical retouching, no CPL filters- just controlled lighting.

Some special corrective lenses can be especially problematic but can not be removed from the frames. There are prism lenses which are used to correct for strabismus or amblyopia- medical terms for cross-eyed, lazy eyed, wandering eyes etc. If the glasses or lenses are remove the subject will be uncomfortable and the eyes may shift very noticeably.

It is said that the eyes are the windows to the soul, that's why the need to be beautifully rendered in a portrait.

Please excuse the dust- I need to clean out my scanner!

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Norm W. Loc: Southern CA

Well done, good suggestions, obviously not your first rodeo. My mentors told me “If you need help, get it from the most expert source possible”.

jcboy3

If you have enough pictures at various angles, you might be able to make a composite image without reflections.

Otherwise, you need some eyes behind those glasses, and then you need to lower the opacity of the filled area.

I've done this before, it takes some skill. Often, you can take parts of the eyes that are still visible through the lens outside of the reflective area and reconstruct eyes that will match. You might have to move or fake the pupil, because they aren't in the same position in each eye unless the subject is shot head on (and is looking forward).

When I'm shooting people with glasses, I take some shots without glasses just to cover this situation. And then I try to adjust lighting, flags, and pose to avoid reflections. Sounds like you don't have a chance to do this, so reconstruction is one answer.

Another approach would be to use a similar subjects eyes. That's a bit tricky in this case, but you can discuss it with the client.

Finally, just leave the reflections be. You can try to tone them down, but too much and it starts to look fake again. But the reflections are a fact of life with glasses, so unless the client requires it, you might just leave them.

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

Sorry for the glitches folks...having computer issues so I had to change systems. Theses are better.

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Paleface

find frames without glass, no glare you will need a few different styles for men and woman. Also watch out for the nose, when you turn the head Do not turn to much don’t break the plain of the cheek with the tip of the nose. They tell you I can’t see, tell them they don’t have to, just you have to. Good luck

Bipod

The examples I've seen of using editing to "fix" reflections are not very satisfactory, IMHO.
You might have better luck, but generally, one has to re-shoot -- especially if you are planning
to make a largish print.

You could try a circular polarizer filter on your lens--if you haven't already.

You didn't mention the lighting, but flash often creates problems with reflection, especially
if it's mounted on-camera. If you can get enough lighting in the room to shoot by
ambient light, changes are it will look better than flash.

For indoor ambient light photography, using a fast lens (wide maximum aperture) often
can prevent having to turn up the ISO too much (which creates noise in the image).

Unfortuantely, portraits require fairly long lenses: standing 50 to 70 mm, sitting 70 to 105,
head shot 200 to 300 mm. The longer the lens, the slower it will be (all else being equal).
Also, prime (FFD) lenses are always faster than an equivalent zoom. So if its an
interchangable lens camera and you happen to have the right focal length prime lens,
this would be the time to use it.

So one way to get a larger aperture is to shoot more of the subject, which allows you to
use a shorter lens (or shorter focal setting on a zoom): standing rather than sitting,
or sitting rather than a head shot.

If you do have to turn up the ISO, noise (white speckles) can often be touched up easier than
highlights can and with a more natural-looking result. Dark noise in highlights is probably
better left as is.

As for the problem with posing, you may have to find a way to get your sitter's attention:
jangling car keys or whatever. It may help to have an assitant do this, while you shoot
a bunch of shots. You'll just have to use the best one you can get. If all else faies, you
can turn the sitter by moving the chair or wheelchair. It might take more then one
session.

Others may disagree, but in my view, time is better spent shooting than retouching
(to make an analogy: adjusting the toaster rather then scraping the burned toast over
the sink). Sorry--I know this means extra work--but your project is worthwhile and
you'll learn a lot about the art of portraiture.

Please don't become discouraged--in the end, you'll get something really nice. Good luck!

Bipod

Very appropriate for Halloween!

canon Lee

Hi thank you for taking their Christmas photos.. Have you tried bouncing a flash off of the ceiling? can you position them next to sun lit window?

dsmeltz Loc: Philadelphia

Central to the issue the OP is facing is the difficulty of doing a re-shoot. Hopefully he has re-posted this in the post processing forum.