What is the catch light?

It is an important aspect of portrait photography and helps to bring the subject’s face to life. The catch light is that reflection of light you see in the eyes of the person you are photographing that draws you into the photo. If there is no catch light in the eyes, they somehow seem dull and lifeless.  This article will teach you how to get a catch light in your photos so that the eyes will pop and look great.

See? There is no catch light.

I think because Ivy is on an angle away from the flash I was using, her eyes didn’t pick up any of the surrounding light. It looks a bit strange, don’t you think?

So how do you get catch light?

Make sure you have the sun behind you.

The catch light is best if it’s diffuse or subtle, so that it doesn’t make the face appear too bright and the sun is your best source of natural light.

Here is a photo of my daughter, outside, with the sun behind the camera.

Take Photos Late Afternoon

Late afternoon offers the best catch light.  If I am planning on taking photos (okay, yes, I am weird like that, especially for things like Christmas photos) I’ll always wait for that time of the day just before it gets too dark, and I need a flash.

Sometimes, you can capture really cool things in the catch light, like the photographer or the object that the person is looking at.

Inside: Have a Soft Light Behind You

This photo was taken inside but with the use of a 15 watt floodlight (that my husband bought from the hardware store) directed to the ceiling; it brought the catch light into Noah’s eyes. I took it without the use of the flash because I’m just not a big fan of the flash. I was really happy with the results.

Catch lights might not seem important when you are first taking photos but they really bring the person in the photo to life and can create emotion and capture the true essence of the subject.

Follow these tips and always look for the catch light when you are photographing a person’s face, and you will see that your portraits are greatly improved by shooting this way.  When the eyes pop and look great, you will have better photos.