Photographing children with glasses

tambola

I need help with this. I know some people just say to take the glasses off, but there has to be another way. It just doesn't seem right to make kids take their glasses off, but it seems that the glasses get the catch light instead of their eyes. Any advice? Is there a way around this? I included one of the many pics that I see this in.
Thanks so much!
Tammi
travis2.jpg
there's another image here: http://tfeehan.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2007/06/27/travis1_2.jpg

k2butter

I don't have any suggestions, but had to reply cause he is adorable! What a cutie!

JESTER

Great Photo and I understand what you mean by leaving the glasses on. One trick is to see if he has an older pair that looks similar and take the glass out of the frames and take the photo that way. I tried it several times and it works fine. Just one suggestion. I sure you will get more on this forum.

I know places like Walgreens, Walmart, Sam's etc sell reading glasses that look similiar to these. You might want to try that also and take the glass out. They don't cost that much.

klc

I just learned this yesturday. A photographer was helping me. She had a kid who has glasses. You have to get a angle where you are looking a little down on the kid. and the kid's eyes are looking at you above the glasses. She told me that so i took a picture of her kid and it was the cutest picture ever!

Get a close up too when they are looking above their glasses. Its so cute!

Have a nice day!
-Katlin

tambola wrote:

I need help with this. I know some people just say to take the glasses off, but there has to be another way. It just doesn't seem right to make kids take their glasses off, but it seems that the glasses get the catch light instead of their eyes. Any advice? Is there a way around this? I included one of the many pics that I see this in.
Thanks so much!
Tammi
travis2.jpg
there's another image here: http://tfeehan.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2007/06/27/travis1_2.jpg

pyrtek

You can also remove the glare in post processing. It's a bit difficult at first, but
once you learn how, it's a life saver.

seebeyond

tambola wrote:

I need help with this. I know some people just say to take the glasses off, but there has to be another way. It just doesn't seem right to make kids take their glasses off, but it seems that the glasses get the catch light instead of their eyes. Any advice? Is there a way around this? I included one of the many pics that I see this in.

I have been wondering about it myself. I think different angle might help, but I haven't found the recipe yet.

evoryware

Circular polarizer?
Try different angles.

LiquidAir

Here are general strategies I use when shooting glass of any sort:

It is best to wear black when you shoot so your own reflection is dark.

I have a 20x30 sheet of black foam core with a hole cut in it for the lens. For close ups shot straight on, it is often big enough to eliminate the reflection.

Control the light so only your subject is lit. That way anything reflected in the glases will be dark.

When shooting at an oblique angle you can use a polarizer to cut down the relfection.

emmalou

He looks like a little Harry Potter.what a sweetheart.

I was going to second the circular polarizer.I just bought one a few days ago, but have not had a chance to try it on glare.

tambola

k2butter wrote:

I don't have any suggestions, but had to reply cause he is adorable! What a cutie!

thanks!:D

tambola

pyrtek wrote:

You can also remove the glare in post processing. It's a bit difficult at first, but
once you learn how, it's a life saver.

I don't know much (if anything) about post processing. ( I feel like an idiot). so where could i find directions on how to do that? I'll certainly try!

I thought of the circular polarizer, i know it has to be at a certain angle to the sun, I need to learn how to use it effectively.

I really appreciate all the suggestions! Thank you!

LiquidAir

tambola wrote:

I thought of the circular polarizer, i know it has to be at a certain angle to the sun, I need to learn how to use it effectively.

This is it in a nutshell: when light bounces of a non-metallic surface, the light gets polarized. Sky, water, leaves and glass are common sources of these kinds of reflections. A polarizer can then either cut polarized light or emphasize it. So, for instance if you want to pop the reflection off a lake turn the polarizer one way; if you want to see to the bottom of the lake turn it the other way. The key thing to understand is that polarizion hits its peak when the light incident light is around 45 degrees to the reflecting surface. In the case of shooting glasses, the polarizer will work best when the surface of the glasses are 45 degress to the lens (i.e. a 3/4 view of your subject) because in that case the light is being reflected 90 degrees to your lens.

In practice, once you know you are shooting in a situation with polarized light, using it is very easy. Just look through the lens and turn it until you like what you see.

tambola

LiquidAir wrote:

This is it in a nutshell: when light bounces of a non-metallic surface, the light gets polarized. The sky, water, leaves, glass, and polished plastics are common sources of these kinds of reflections. A polarizer can then either cut polarized light or emphasize it. So, for instance if you want to pop the reflection off a lake turn the polarizer one way; if you want to see to the bottom of the lake turn it the other way. The key thing to understand is that polarizion hits its peak when the light incident light is around 45 degrees to the reflecting surface. In the case of shooting glasses, the polarizer will work best when the surface of the glasses are 45 degress to the lens (i.e. a 3/4 view of your subject) because in that case the light is being reflected 90 degrees to your lens.

In practice, once you know you are shooting in a situation with polarized light, using it is very easy. Just look through the lens and turn it until you like what you seel.

thanks so much for your help! this is great info. i can't wait to test it out!