Avoiding two catchlights

Skipperlange

Hi, I was working with a model in my studio today and I used a posing table with a piece of white cardboard over it to throw fill light up into her face. I wanted this light to fill in shadows between cheeks and mouth. It worked well but when I looked at the photos later I see this gives me two catchlights. (Photo attached). Any suggestions for avoiding this second catchlight yet still having this under-the-face fill cardboard? Also, is having two catchlights a bad thing? The small bit of light you see on her right side at temple is spill from hair light, which I'm also trying to get right. Thanks.

Skipperlange

Here's the whole photo. This is edited a bit for saturation and I applied Portraiture plug-in for that airbrushed look as I was editing one to send the model. But it's not changed much. Feel free to critique. I'm wondering about that light line on her nose, seems a big strong to me. I lightened this up just a tad after converting to jpg, not sure I needed to. The second photo here shows also that there are two catchlights but this time the white cardboard was much lower, resting in her lap and on a very low lightstand a few feet in front of her. I thought this series might show that the lower placement of the cardboard avoided the second catchlight but apparently not.

Trev

Skipperlange said: Also, is having two catchlights a bad thing?

Nope, not at all. If you were to put a client in front of a window, natural light and take a close up shot, you may see 'catchlights' all over the place from different sources.

From what I see here, it's not worth the effort personally trying to avoid.

Eon

Hi Guys
For some reason I can't see any image?
Thanks for any assistance

Skipperlange

Hi Eon, are you clicking on the name of each photo under 'attachments'?

Trev

Eon, as Skip said, click on image link, you will have an option to 'Open With' or Save. Take your choice.

Eon

Thank you Guys
Just realised that I wasn't getting the attachment option as I was viewing the post on an iPhone.

On ipad I can see attachments fine

Appreciate the replies
Eon

Neil vN

I think the reason why that catch-light from the bottom is so noticeable, is that it is a distinct shape. It's *there*.

Perhaps a reflector like the Eye-Lighter would be better?
I posted a few photos in this link of an After Dark convention, where I used it.

Look at the top photo and see the catch-light at the bottom of her eye. Less immediately noticeable.
In the comments, I posted a link to how you can make your own.

Neil vN

Another After Dark event with two photos at the top where I used an Eye-lighter as the reflector at the bottom.

Skipperlange

Thanks Neil, love that eyelighter and the subtle half moon catchlights. The DIY instructions are good if you're handy that way. I wonder if it wouldn't be just as good to make almost disposable eyelighters with a piece of poster board and tin foil or plain white backing. You'd have to figure how to get it to curve. Seems awfully big though, this one you've got here, the light doesn't interfere with the shaping being done with the main light and fill? What kind of lighting would you call this by the way, your setup here? Butterfly? Glamour?