{"id":2693,"date":"2010-03-14T21:44:16","date_gmt":"2010-03-15T01:44:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/neilvn.com\/tangents\/?p=2693"},"modified":"2020-06-13T19:33:43","modified_gmt":"2020-06-13T23:33:43","slug":"bounce-flash-catchlights","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/neilvn.com\/tangents\/bounce-flash-catchlights\/","title":{"rendered":"Catchlights in the eyes with bounce flash"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Catchlights in the eyes with bounce flash<\/h1>\n

I’m often asked about how I get those catch-lights in the eyes of my subjects. My answer is – if you bounce your flash properly<\/a>, the catchlights have<\/strong> to be there!<\/p>\n

When working indoors with surfaces that I can easily bounce my flash off, the question that I always ask myself is: If this had been a studio shoot, where would I place my softbox?<\/p>\n

In a studio-type setup, you’d rarely place a softbox directly over someone’s head as a single light-source. \u00a0There are two places to commonly place a softbox in the studio .. to left (and slightly above) or to the right (and slightly above) your subject. \u00a0Which side of your subject is quite often dictated by how your subject is positioned. \u00a0The simplest and most effective position is so that the light falls onto your subject’s face from the side opposite to the camera’s view. \u00a0In other words, ‘short lighting’.<\/p>\n

With this photo above, the lighting is pretty much just bounce flash, with a touch of available light registering. \u00a0The boy is standing in front of someone wearing a very dark dress, hence the ‘black background’.<\/p>\n

Now, looking at that photo, the large catchlights<\/strong> in his eyes should grab your attention immediately. \u00a0How did I get those catchlights? \u00a0The same way you would in a studio .. by the way you place your softbox. \u00a0So in a way then, these kind of catchlights in your subject’s eyes are near-predictable if you bounce your flash with that softbox idea in mind.<\/p>\n

Here I once again used the black foamie thing<\/a> to shield direct flash from falling on him. \u00a0I want indirect flash, and I want it directional<\/strong> and soft<\/strong>. \u00a0Hence I bounce my flash towards the area I want my light to come from. \u00a0That is how I ‘place’ my softbox. \u00a0The key here is not to think of your flash as being your light source any more – instead, the area that you’re bouncing your flash off, is now your light source.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\"On-Camera<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>
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On-Camera Flash Photography – revised edition<\/h2>\n

This book is explains a cohesive and thorough approach to getting the best from your on-camera speedlight.<\/p>\n

Particular care was taken to present it all with a logical flow that will help any photographer attain a better understanding of flash photography.<\/p>\n

You can either purchase a copy via\u00a0Amazon USA<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Amazon UK<\/a><\/strong>,\u00a0or can be ordered through Barnes & Nobles and other bookstores. The book\u00a0is also available on the Apple iBook Store, as well as Amazon Kindle.\nAlso check out the Amazon Kindle store.<\/p>\n

Learn more about\u00a0how\u00a0the cover image<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0was shot.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>

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Related articles<\/h2>\n

The catchlights in the eyes can also be seen in these examples:<\/p>\n