Glasses in studio shoot

[Colleen1959]

I'm hoping someone can give me some preventative advice on a problem I'm anticipating.

I'm doing a family shoot on Saturday, and mom wears glasses. Is there anything I can do to reduce the amount of reflection in the glasses. I would like to able to see her eyes and not just one giant glare, or should I just dream on!

Any advice gratefully accepted.

[Anonymous]

Pop the glass out of the frames.

(A spare pair might come in handy.)

[gpw]

Very very easy, just place your lights , turn the head and ensure no reflection in the glasses. It also helps to lift the glasses a little from the ear to change the angle. Do not pop the glass from the frame, its not necessary and can look unnatural. I hope you have got studio strobes, then you can determine the reflection by using the modeling lights.

[EAC]

Gpw beat me to it. It's all about the angles of your lights.

[Colleen1959]

Thanks everyone for the advice, and yes Pieter I do have studio strobes.

[DonRoos]

A polarising filter will also help if the lights can't be positioned to completely eliminate reflection

[Anonymous]

My experience is with shooting larger groups, typically with multiple spectacle wearers, but I just ask them all to remove their glasses.

[Ryan Drummond]

I also politely ask for spectacles to be removed, If impossible remember angle of incedence = angle of reflection.

[John Deakin]

My experience is with shooting larger groups, typically with multiple spectacle wearers, but I just ask them all to remove their glasses.

Isn't this "removing" their personalities too in some instances ? I know people who hate being seen without their spectacles never mind be happy and relaxed being photographed without them.

[Anonymous]

Isn't this "removing" their personalities too in some instances ? I know people who hate being seen without their spectacles never mind be happy and relaxed being photographed without them.

They're aways free to decline.

[Colleen1959]

I'm not entirely comfortable asking her to remove her glasses, as I can see that she would look completely different without them, and agree, that they are part of her, hence I'd feel uncomfortable asking her to remove them. I'm going to shoot tethered, so if I can see that they really are a problem, then I will consider suggesting she remove them.

[Ryan Drummond]

They wont be a problem if you play with the angles, you will find a spot where you will be able to see the eyes without the reflection, Change the angle of incidence and you change the angle of reflection, either by moving the subjects head, moving the glasses on the subjects head (see #3), moving your lights, yet remaining within the lighting pattern you are setting for.

http://www.photoflexlightingschool.c...nce/index.html

[Mariusbez]

Its possible ... Play with angles as suggested, by adjusting the glasses up behind the ear creats an angle facing downward and if the lights are placed correctly there will be no reflections

[marlon]

I also politely ask for spectacles to be removed, If impossible remember angle of incedence = angle of reflection.

Not very good advice. If a person wears glasses 24/7, then that is as part of him as his skin color. You don't ask politely request someone to change himself for a photo. If I wore glasses, Id expect to have my photo taken with them on, or find a more skilled tog... period.

What works for me (my loved one and several friends wear glasses) is to just deflect reflections by change head/glasses angles, and diffusing the flash etc.

[elsahoffmann]

Marlon - I have no problem shooting clients with Specs - however - I OFTEN find they prefer to remove their specs when I ask them if they want to keep them on or not.

[GroenHoender]

Why not shoot two sets of studio photos: one with glasses on, one without glasses. And let the customer decide. Even if the glasses are part of them, for life, most realise that they actually look better without it (1)because of the design of those glasses: some wear those old types that make them look old, (2) others have a good face that actually look better without glasses, etc, etc, etc.

In other words: experiment, and ask the customer. They always have the final say.

In my case, I wear glasses, and remove them based on circumstances and type of photography. For example, if I know and trust that the photographer can do his/her stuff, I leave it on . But, on the other hand, with ID mugshots, I always remove because I hated those poor quality "me" .

[Camera Man]

I agree with Elsa and the others about asking the model to remove glasses.
I often ask this on weddings and never had any person complained or declined.

If you shoot out of hand and not on a tripod you can easily remove the glare in the glasses by just slightly moving your own angle around, left, right, up ot down.

I often find that small movement on my side is all that it takes to get the relfection or glare eliminated.

This is easier and quicker than moving the lights or fidling with the model's lenses.

[Colleen1959]

WOW - quite a response to my question. However, just to let you all know, my shoot turned out well, and my client arrived without her glasses on, so I was not put in a position of having to ask her to remove them, not that I would have done that anyway.

I was actually a little dissapointed that she had in fact come without them as I had done a lot of preparation work and pre practicing, and I had my laptop all set up to shoot tethered, and was confident that with the great advice given here, and with some additional help from my "friend" Scott Kelby, that I'd have no problems............only to not even have the opportunity to do it (sigh)

I have presented my client with her images, and she is absolutely thrilled with the results of the studio shoot

Thanks again everyone for the valuable advice and suggestions.