A catchlight is the reflection of a light source in a person’s eyes. It gives the eyes a sense of life and helps prevent a portrait from looking flat or lifeless.
In my opinion, adding a convincing catchlight afterwards is difficult. It is much better to create it when taking the photograph. The shape and character of the catchlight depend on the size, shape and position of the main light source.
I use the Elinchrom Rotalux Softbox Octa, 100 cm. As a general starting point, try positioning the light so that the catchlight appears around the 10 or 2 o’clock position in the subject’s eye. Placing the light slightly above the subject also gives it a natural, sun-like direction.
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