It’s all about the light…

Have you ever noticed that professional portraits always have a little white spot in the eyes?  Have you ever noticed that even in animated movies, the animators always add a little white spot to the eyes?  These spots are called catchlights.  Basically, the reflective surface of the eye “catches” the light.  Why do we want these?  Well, catchlights help to add dimension to pictures…to make eyes come alive.  It’s easy for ANYONE to get catchlights.  Using just a point and shoot camera you can still “catch” the light.  Make sure your subject (the person you are taking the picture of) is looking toward light.  Then, take a picture WITHOUT flash and see what happens.  Here’s an example with little Ian.  I used NO flash for this picture.  He was just sitting in his chair on the kitchen table and the windows were reflecting in his eyes.  So, pay attention to those reflections in your subjects eyes…watch how they change with movement, and snap away!  You’ll be adding dimension to your photos in no time.