Catch Lights

A catch light is the "gleam of reflected light in the object of a photograph, esp. in a person's eye." Whenever you use a light source such as a strobe or light bulb, you add increase the potential for seeing a catch light in your photograph. Catch lights can bring a sparkle to your subject's eyes and make a portrait have more dimension.

Catch lights take on the shape of their light source, so if you use a rectangular softbox, you will get a rectangular catch light. If you prefer a more round shape, try working with an umbrella or beauty dish (make sure to use a diffuser to get a better effect). If you use more than one light source, you will see more than one catch light.

In the photo below, notice how the catch lights impact the photograph.



When you zoom in on her eyes, notice how you can see both the number of lights and the shapes of their modifiers.