Two tips for removing reflections from eyeglasses

I can’t begin to count the number of times I’ve taken a photo of someone with glasses only to have a reflection ruin the shot.

Usually, I end up scrapping the shot entirely, but with the help of a brand new tutorial from photographer Scott Kelby, I might just be able to salvage one of these shots in the future.

Throughout the six-minute tutorial, Kelby covers two separate methods to get rid of the unwanted reflection.

One method is to use the new Dehaze tool from Adobe after a selective adjustment layer has been made within the frame of the glasses. This isn’t a fool-proof method, but it’s fairly quick and easy.

The second method is far more effective, but requires a bit more planning. During the shoot, if you realize there’s a reflection in the subjects glasses, you can have them remove the glasses in one shot. Then, in post, simply composite the frames of the glasses onto the other photo.

Personally, my opinion is that if you have time for the second option, you have time to correct the reflection problem entirely by having the subject adjust the angle of their glasses. But, it could prove to be useful in the event you happen to have an extra reflection-free photo after you’re done with the shoot.

Either way, these are just two tricks to fixing a common problem when shooting a subject with glasses.

[via ISO 1200]