1. Adjusting the Angle (Easiest & Often Most Effective):
* Subject Positioning:
* Tilting the Head: Have the subject slightly tilt their head down or up. Even a subtle change can drastically shift the reflection away from the lens and into an area that's less noticeable.
* Rotating the Body: Ask the subject to rotate slightly left or right. This changes the angle of light reflecting off the glasses.
* Moving Around: You might need to move yourself (or the subject) slightly to find the sweet spot where reflections disappear.
* Light Source Positioning:
* Moving Lights: Experiment with moving your light source higher, lower, or to the sides. Even a slight shift can change the reflection's position.
* Diffusion: Use a diffuser on your light source to soften the light. Softer light creates less harsh reflections.
Why it works: Reflections happen when a light source bounces off the lens and directly into the camera. Changing the angle of the glasses or the light shifts the reflection away from the camera's viewpoint.
2. Using Polarizing Filters:
* Circular Polarizing Filter (CPL): A CPL screws onto the front of your lens and can selectively filter out polarized light, which is often the source of reflections.
* How to Use: Rotate the filter while looking through the viewfinder (or on the LCD screen in live view) until the reflections are minimized.
* Important Note: Polarizing filters reduce the amount of light entering the lens, so you may need to adjust your aperture, shutter speed, or ISO. Also, they can sometimes unevenly polarize, leading to different colors across the lens. Experiment!
Why it works: Reflected light is often polarized (especially light reflected from non-metallic surfaces like glass). The polarizing filter blocks this polarized light, reducing the reflection.
3. Careful Lighting Techniques:
* Off-Camera Flash:
* Using a flash positioned off-camera gives you more control over the direction and intensity of the light.
* Bounce Flash: Bouncing the flash off a ceiling or wall creates a softer, more diffused light, reducing reflections.
* Positioning: Place the flash at an angle where its reflection won't be directly in the lens.
* Large Light Source:
* Using a large softbox or umbrella creates a broad, diffused light source that minimizes harsh reflections.
* Feathering the Light: Aim the light slightly away from the subject's face, "feathering" it so that the brightest part of the light falls off the sides of the face.
* Multiple Light Sources (Advanced): Using multiple lights can help you control the light on the face while minimizing reflections. For example, you could use a key light that is slightly off-axis and a fill light to balance the exposure without adding reflections.
Why it works: Precise lighting allows you to control the angle and intensity of the light hitting the glasses, minimizing the reflections that reach the camera. A larger, more diffused light source spreads the light more evenly, reducing harsh highlights.
4. Removing Reflections in Post-Processing (Photoshop/GIMP):
* Clone Stamp Tool: Use the Clone Stamp tool to sample nearby areas and paint over the reflections. Be careful to match the texture, color, and tone of the surrounding area.
* Healing Brush Tool: The Healing Brush tool is similar to the Clone Stamp but blends the sampled area with the target area, often producing more natural-looking results.
* Patch Tool: The Patch Tool allows you to select an area (the reflection) and replace it with another area.
* Frequency Separation: This advanced technique separates the texture and color information in an image. You can then work on the color layer to remove the reflections without affecting the sharpness of the image.
* Content-Aware Fill: Sometimes, Photoshop's Content-Aware Fill can intelligently fill in the reflection area with surrounding detail.
Important Notes for Post-Processing:
* Shoot in RAW: RAW files contain more information than JPEGs, giving you more flexibility in post-processing.
* Zoom In: Work at a high zoom level to ensure precision.
* Subtlety is Key: Avoid over-editing, which can make the image look unnatural.
* Use Layers: Work on separate layers so you can easily undo changes if needed.
5. Removing the Glasses (The Obvious, But Sometimes Best Solution):
* If the reflections are proving impossible to eliminate, simply ask the subject to remove their glasses (if they're comfortable doing so). This is the easiest and most effective solution.
* Consider this option, especially if the glasses aren't essential to the subject's appearance.
Key Considerations and Tips:
* Communication is Key: Talk to your subject. Explain what you're trying to achieve and ask for their cooperation in adjusting their pose.
* Test Shots: Take test shots frequently to see the effect of your adjustments.
* Don't Be Afraid to Experiment: Try different techniques and combinations of techniques to find what works best for you.
* Combination of Techniques: Often, the best results come from combining several techniques. For example, adjust the subject's angle slightly and then use a polarizing filter and minor post-processing to clean up any remaining reflections.
* Anti-Reflective Coating: While not a photography technique, encouraging your subject to get glasses with an anti-reflective (AR) coating can significantly reduce reflections in everyday life and in photos.
By understanding the principles behind reflections and using these techniques, you can significantly improve your portrait photography and minimize or eliminate distracting reflections in glasses. Good luck!