How To Post Process For Beautiful Eyes & Catchlights

It has been said many times before, the eyes are one of the key elements that photographers try and capture.

Here is a little video showing a technique that I picked up from Scott Kelby. The book was called Professional Portrait Retouching.

If you want to follow along. I have have made a few little notes.

Music by Rolobenz – rolobenz.com/

1. Make sure the overall lighting matches the artificial highlights
2. Use the blending modes & fade the layers down to look suitable
3. Use very soft edging on everything
4. Normal Blur & Motion Blur make a good combo
5. Make one, then copy for the other eye
6. Refine the shape using the prospective warp
7. Use pure white to make the highlight
8. Play about with blending modes, but I like overlay mode.
9. If you make colour versions, you can get some funky effects
10. Different shapes can create some very funky effects.

This is a full length edit that originally took 32 mins, it has been speed up so you can see how this is little section fits in to the wider story. As you can see in both videos, Photoshop is a very powerful tool and has clearly had an impact on the world around us. I prefer to use the program in a fun and interesting way that gives me more tools to work with than just a camera. Getting the balance right to when too much is to much is over ever a personal question or a clients point of view.

Music by Mallory Knox: Oceans (acoustic) Wolf at your door records (2013)

How ever.. if you want a very quick fix to brighten up the eyes and create that extra bit of sparkle… this quick tip might be just the thing.

About The Author

Dave Kai Piper is a UK based Fashion & Portrait Photographer. As well as being a Pentax Ambassador, Fuji X-Photographer, 3 legged thing & Lexar Ambassador, DKP works as a consultant though Ideas & Images for such companies as Future Publishing. DKP is also an Adobe Community Professional. Current projects include consulting on the UK’s flagship consumer and trade show, The Photography Show. You can follow Dave on his Blog, Facebook and Twitter.