How do you handle eyeglass reflection?

TonyCooper

Posted in this forum because it's a common problem when shooting "people"?

How do you handle reflections on eyeglasses - using or not using flash - when
the eyeglass wearer is part of a group?

There are many suggestions on the web, but most seem to recommend tilting
the glasses. That often makes the wearer look odd because the glasses are
not in the normal position.

Some reflections can be taken out in post using Photoshop, but it's often a
major - and less-than-successful - project. The technique of two photos,
one with and one without the glasses, works if the second head is in a
similar enough position to switch heads in post.

Foques

I am lazy, so I just pose them differently.

Worst case, get one pic glasses on, one pic glasses off, then swap.

aj986s

A polarizing filter can eliminate some non-flash reflections.

Seefutlung

In the original B&W Superman Tv series ... Clark Kent's glasses didn't have any lenses ...

Wiren

I'm not sure if any of these responses answer Tony's question guys... Tony, if I am hearing you right, you are asking more about impromptu scenarios where you somewhere and folks say "Hey Tony.. get a group shot of us man!"

If that is the case, then there is not really a fool proof method I know of to tell you.... the lighting will always be different and you may not always have your nice hot-shoe Sun-Pak flash in your pocket to bounce light better... in these cases, find those with glasses in the group and put them in the image with their backs away from the brightest of the lights. Is there anything laying around that somebody else can hold up to the light (without creating any shadow on the group) to cut the glare of the other bright light? With glass faced away from the brightest light and other people surrounding eyeglass wearers the best possible, you may be able to cut the direct glare thus reducing the reflection problem.

In cases where you do have your hot shoe flash, try to bounce your light off the wall/ceiling so as to diffuse it... raise your ISO if necessary, the subsequent light from your bounced flash (as long as the wall/ceiling isn't too far away) should be enough to fill some light on the group and keep the reflected light off the glasses.

I am guessing you don't have studio lights or you would have easily googled the answer to this question by now. These solutions won't work in every instance as you will see... but it's the best you can do on short notice.

I have found the trick of putting glass wearers inside the midst of non glass wearers and their backs to the main light works out more often than not doing so.....

I hope this helps... good luck and happy shooting Tony

TonyCooper

Wiren wrote: »

I'm not sure if any of these responses answer Tony's question guys... Tony, if I am hearing you right, you are asking more about impromptu scenarios where you somewhere and folks say "Hey Tony.. get a group shot of us man!" [unquote]

Yes, most of the situations involved are family groups and informal settings.

If that is the case, then there is not really a fool proof method I know of to tell you.... the lighting will always be different and you may not always have your nice hot-shoe Sun-Pak flash in your pocket to bounce light better.. [unquote]

Too bad. I was looking for a "magic bullet". I do use an on-camera tilt/rotate flash and bounce the light when flash is required, but it's daylight and outdoors when the problem is the most acute. It's the reflection off glasses, not flash spots, that cause the problems. Quite often, it's the unposed group where a person with glasses is the one where the problem is most apparant.

I am guessing you don't have studio lights or you would have easily googled the answer to this question by now. These solutions won't work in every instance as you will see... but it's the best you can do on short notice. [unquote]

My entire lighting equipment package consists of the sun for outdoor photos and an on-camera flash for indoors. No screens, reflectors or any of that because I have no one to hold them.

But, thanks for input.

Hackbone

Can you bump your ISO up and reverse the flash to reflect off the ceiling at a 45, this at times help if inside. There are new glasses out now that have an anti reflective coating on them that helps 90% but you can't ask them to rush out and get them. If you know in advance that you want to use an image it does help to keep all in position and ask the glass wearer to take their glasses of and paste eyes back in.

OrvSal

In a group shot, if possible, get the diffused flash off the camera and higher than the camera to avoid the reflected light to bounce back into the lens plane. Another way is to have the person with glasses to just tilt their head downward just enough to lose the reflection. Quick and easy.

Gary752

If I remember right, in one of Tony Corbell's workshops, he stated that besides tilting the glasses, you can just turn the subject's head slightly to the right or left, or you take a step to your right or left to lose the glare. Hope that helps.

GaryB

Tinstafl

I will have them raise the glasses up slightly at the ears and have the lighting so that it does not affect the glasses as much. I could not raise them up as much as I wanted so I turned him a bit so that the reflection was not to the camera. For those with longer hair it is much easier to tilt the glasses a bit.

here is an example

_DSC8302.jpg by tinstafl, on Flickr

Tinstafl

I will say it is not the reflection that i hate but the distortion at the sides if they have a strong prescription. I find that harder to eliminate. I have just a touch on the camera right in his glasses.

Ed911

Tinstafl wrote: »

I will say it is not the reflection that i hate but the distortion at the sides if they have a strong prescription. I find that harder to eliminate. I have just a touch on the camera right in his glasses.

I don't think that there is a fix for what you're talking about. I've had to rebuild that part of the face...to completely remove the effects of distortion caused by lenses. It's a pain, so you should only attempt it, if you're in love with a particular image...