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Home: Video University Forums: Digital Photography for Videographers:
Photographing people with glasses

Shadow
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Oct 16, 2006, 7:38 PM

Post #1 of 12 (903 views)
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Photographing people with glasses	Can't Post

What's the best way to deal with people wearing glasses? The glare looks lovely.
Any suggestions, sort of asking them to remove their specs?

rodovideo
Enthusiast

Oct 16, 2006, 10:29 PM

Post #2 of 12 (891 views)
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Re: [Shadow] Photographing people with glasses [In reply to]	Can't Post

Ask if they mind shooting without them... or they might be able to get a pair of "no-glass/lens" glasses from their local eyeglass center. (if this is a planned/scheduled shoot...) Shoot a shot without flash and then try to work your magic in photoshop and try to cut & paste it somehow... (this would be a last resort... I'm sure it would look obvious unless your some sort of PS guru.

Mike R.

Look toward the Son, and you will not see the shadows

sample images from RODO PHOTO

Rodo Media BLOG

Jenn M
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Oct 17, 2006, 12:46 AM

Post #3 of 12 (885 views)
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Re: [Shadow] Photographing people with glasses [In reply to]	Can't Post

Just ask them to lower their chin. Dealt with this A LOT this past weekend. We did end up shooting the wedding (stills) and 3 of the 4 groomsmen wore glasses and so did the MOB. Lowering the chin worked everytime. Just make sure they don't scrunch their chin. A little lower works just fine. One groomsman did take them off, but he just didn't look like himself.

DarrenS
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Oct 17, 2006, 2:16 AM

Post #4 of 12 (881 views)
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Re: [Shadow] Photographing people with glasses [In reply to]	Can't Post

Heidi you can first ask their permission to touch them, then go over and lift the loop part that goes over the ears about two centimeters higher than normal so the lenses are pointing more down towards the ground. They will feel weird but just reassure them that they look good. You can't see it on film most of the time (unless they're bald) and it works perfectly.

DarrenS
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Oct 17, 2006, 2:17 AM

Post #5 of 12 (878 views)
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Re: [Jenn M] Photographing people with glasses [In reply to]	Can't Post

Yes I find that with elderly people it can make unattractive necks when you do this. I find it better to keep the neck stretched as much as possible and most the glasses instead.

edit: move the glasses not most the glasses Unsure

(This post was edited by DarrenS on Oct 17, 2006, 2:19 AM)

Brackish
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Oct 17, 2006, 4:28 AM

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videobear
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Oct 17, 2006, 11:17 AM

Post #7 of 12 (856 views)
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Re: [Shadow] Photographing people with glasses [In reply to]	Can't Post

Tilting the lenses by lowering the chin or raising the earpieces is what all the photographers I know do. But would a polarizing filter work also?

Regards,
Doug Graham
Panda Productions

Shadow
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Oct 17, 2006, 11:44 AM

Post #8 of 12 (852 views)
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Re: [videobear] Photographing people with glasses [In reply to]	Can't Post

I had a polarizer on, but maybe it wasn't positioned in the right place?
Anyway, most turned out ok, just a few to correct.

Thanks for the tips everyone!!

Jenn M
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Oct 17, 2006, 12:29 PM

Post #9 of 12 (847 views)
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Re: [Brackish] Photographing people with glasses [In reply to]	Can't Post

In Reply To

Are you gonna give us a rundown on this latest shoot?

Absolutely - I want to post some images, which we're still working on going through - we had an engagement shoot on Sunday and Monday, too, so haven't had much time to do it yet.

I'm eager to share the 'what I learned' experiences, as well as get some feedback.

Jenn M
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Oct 17, 2006, 12:37 PM

Post #10 of 12 (846 views)
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Re: [DarrenS] Photographing people with glasses [In reply to]	Can't Post

In Reply To

Yes I find that with elderly people it can make unattractive necks when you do this. I find it better to keep the neck stretched as much as possible and most the glasses instead.

One tip I read which also works well to avoid the 'double chin' or crinkled neck is to have the subject lean forward at the waste just slightly - this elongates the neck and works rather well - IF you remember to do it. Tongue

I ususally remember things like this when I get home and look at the image. da

Jenn M
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Oct 17, 2006, 12:41 PM

Post #11 of 12 (843 views)
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Re: [Shadow] Photographing people with glasses [In reply to]	Can't Post

I wouldn't think a polarizer would work - unless you were outside. Using it inside would be like using the ND Filter on the video camera for bright lights indoors - doesn't really work.

I read that polarizers work best when the sun is at a 45 degree angle from the subject - so not so much at high noon, for example.

DarrenS
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Oct 17, 2006, 1:04 PM

Post #12 of 12 (840 views)
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Re: [Jenn M] Photographing people with glasses [In reply to]	Can't Post

If you remember to do it is right Smile

I forget too sometimes Blush

. It's also good to have their body away from the lens so it stretches the neck more.

This gentleman is in his 80's (a great Canadian visual artist). He is in amazing shape for his age, way better than most at his age. Handsome and photogenic, too. But I still put his body in a way that minimised the typical problem neck area that we will all have one day, and used the earpiece technique for glare. Tilting the head down is not an option for me. It cures problems but creates them too. Cancel each other out and we're back at square one. This is a little grainy because of the watermark.