adding catch lights help

[Derek Willcox]

i was wondering does anybody have their own workflow for adding catch lights mine always look terrible some times i rather have dead looking eyes than a catch light that looks pasted in any help would be great

[Daniel Cadieux]

Many times you have an already existing faint reflection in the eye. In that case simply using the dodge tool to bring that out looks great rather than adding a catchlight. Do you have an example that we can see?

[Derek Willcox]

thanks daniel here a shot

[Daniel Cadieux]

If you look closely there is a bit of a paler reflection along the top of the iris so in this case I used the dodge tool on a small part of it and paint in at 8% opacity (three times set at "midtones" and then an additional time on an even smaller area and set to "highlights"). I also darkened the pupil (again, 8% and to "shadows"). Working with the pre-downsized version would have done wonders compared, but hope you get the gist of it. Oh, I could not do much about the insect's eyes!!

On a related note, had you had a better head angle vis-à-vis light angle then you would have had a naturally occurred catchlight. Here the light is coming slightly from the left and head angled away. You would have needed the head angled away even more for a catchlight but this would not have not been good as ideally we want the head angled towards us. Here you needed the light coming in directly from behind you or slightly from the right (or the subject pointing the other way with the current light angle). I suspect you know this, but hope this helps with others reading the thread.

[Derek Willcox]

Thank you very much Daniel looks good and i understand where your coming from regarding HA and sun direction these little birds run like the wind and change angles in secs thanks again

[Don Lacy]

Here is Artie's tutorial on creating a catchlight http://www.birdphotographers.net/for...ng-Catchlights. Daniels method really looks good since you are enhancing what is there instead of creating something that did not exist.

[John Chardine]

I do not add catchlights to eyes, although as Daniel suggests, if there is a hint of some lightness in the eye I will enhance with various techniques, some commonly used, some not so much. My philosophy is that if there isn't a catchlight, there's a good physical reason and if you add one, things just won't add up. Also, I enjoy the challenge of making a really good image where everything comes together. This happens sufficiently rarely for me that when it does it's very satisfying. This joy would be lost if I just accomplished the same thing in post-processing.

[BobbyPerkins]

I completely agree with John. And Daniel that was a super good short processing tutorial for what was already there. Also Derek though as Daniel stated (and agreed), on the head turn and angle of light, it's still a great image and love the bug

[Don Lacy]

Actually the easiest way to create an artificial catchlight is to use fill flash thats how it was done when shooting film.

[Derek Willcox]

i want to thank everyone for their inputs