 BetterPhoto Member |
Eyeglass Glare I shot my brother-in-laws wedding, I was the only photographer there. I thought about putting an album together, however a few of the family members wear glasses and I have a lot of glare. How could I have avoided this? It is very obvious on enlargements.
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John A. Lind |
Joan, Were you using a camera mounted flash, or portable studio lights with modeling lights built into them? When using studio strobes I always have the modeling lights turned on. At weddings, they're turned on to full power (versus tracking the strobe power setting). The modeling lights allow seeing when this will occur, and it's one of the details I scan for when posing people and just before I trip the shutter. With camera mounted flash or anything else that doesn't have a modeling light, it's difficult to predict. The first technique is asking if they wear their glasses all the time. If they don't, I ask if they feel comfortable removing them for the photograph. BTW, if someone does remove their glasses, ensure they get out of sight into a pocket, into the hand that's hidden behind someone else, or get held for them by someone who's not in the photograph. Another technique is to have anyone wearing glasses dip their head *slightly* to change the angle of the lenses in their glasses with respect to the flash and camera lens. Be cautious when doing this with older people as it can induce wrinkles and double chins (a Really Bad Thing with women). The third technique is to have them tilt their glasses **slightly** by raising the temples above the ears by a half-inch or so. The danger with this one is how far they raise the temples, and how prominently this will show in the photograph. Too far and the glasses will look unnaturally positioned on the person's face. Even though I watch for this carefully, it still creeps into a photograph occasionally . . . someone will move just as I trip the shutter. The strobes freeze their motion so they don't blur, but their slight shift in position creates the glare again. -- John
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Maynard McKillen |
Dear Joan: You probably considered asking them if you could take the photos both ways, with and without glasses. (You'd think they would at least read the small print at the bottom of the invitation that says, "No gifts or glasses, please.") If the glasses must stay, you might ask the wearers to slightly raise the back ends (the parts that normally rest on top of the ear), which can sometimes eliminate the glare, or at least reduce it. Also have the wearers turn their heads so they are looking straight at the camera, and not askance, to hide the fact the glasses are not resting on the ears. This technique is not the same as asking the wearer to allow the glasses to slide down his or her nose, which may make the glasses appear out of place. You don't mention whether your flash units, which I perhaps erroneously assume are the cause of the glare, are positioned close to the camera, say on a bracket, or are farther away on light stands. If the former, try the latter. If the latter, see sentence #1. Moving the flash head farther from the lens axis, even somtimes just a few feet, may help. The reflection will likely still be there, but it may move off the lens and onto the frame of the glasses, where often it is smaller and much less objectionable. Taking another tack, you may even arrange (in advance) your picture taking so that those wearing glasses tend to be photographed outdoors in the open shade, or in diffuse light bright enough to negate the need for flash.
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