Tips on how to avoid specular highlights in subjects face?

Can someone please explain to me the best way to avoid specular highlights? You know, the big blotches of reflected flash on cheeks, foreheads, and noses.

I can understand why these blotches appear when I shoot my flash bare. But even when I am using big diffusers (like a softlighter or softbox), I still have problems with specular highlights.

Has it something to do with the positioning of the light? What on earth am I doing wrong?

I'm sure all of you have faced this problem some times, so do you have any suggestions?

I'm interested to see an example of yours

Specular highlights are primarily caused by harsh light and wet oily skin. For women, blotting with dry cotton pads will absorb oil and dry out skin without ruining makeup. For men you can use baby wipes, cotton pads, or similar.

Professional makeup is essential to good people photography, and they will solve this problem for you.

outside of oily skin, my first thought is that your computer screen is not showing you the correct color/brightness value.

as said, samples will help.

The issue is not funadamentally not 'specular sources' at all!

Consider that all surfaces that have sheen have inherent reflectivity of whatever bright sources fall upon them. We often deliberately USE large surface reflectors and sources to better illuminate large shiny curved areas for increased visibility of form via their reflections! When we light wine bottles, for example, we put large reflective surfaces in strategic locations so as TO SEE the reflector in the surface of the glass curved edges, for example.

Unlike flat surfaces where we can readily employ the axiom of 'angle of incidence = angle of reflectance' to advantage, curved surfaces are more bothersome, which is why eyeglasses on portrtait subjects has long been challenging. In many cases, the 'fix' is simply for the sitter to wear an empty set of frames with no lenses! The face is a whole bunch of complex curved surfaces, so it is particularly challenging. The fix = light application of a transparent facial power, even for men!

Wilt wrote in post #16180124
.............. The fix = light application of a transparent facial power, even for men!

Yes, for MEN too. Note that you won't always get a massively positive reception from certain men about wearing make-up.
How you handle that little glitch is an individual by individual problem. Good luck with it!

One can also cheat in post by selecting a soft brush set at low opacity, sample a color near the hotspot, and gingerly paint over the bright area.

Whortleberry wrote in post #16181264
Yes, for MEN too. Note that you won't always get a massively positive reception from certain men about wearing make-up.
How you handle that little glitch is an individual by individual problem. Good luck with it!

"OK, let me just blot your face with a cotton ball to remove the excess of facial oils" (and use a cotton ball that was pre-dipped in hypoallergenic transparent face power)



And if he somehow discovers the powder, "Damn, I thought I told my assistant to stop putting powder on the cotton balls without me knowing...that must from that shoot we just completed earlier today!"

Wilt wrote in post #16181431
"OK, let me just blot your face with a cotton ball to remove the excess of facial oils" (and use a cotton ball that was pre-dipped in hypoallergenic transparent face power)

And if he somehow discovers the powder, "Damn, I thought I told my assistant to stop putting powder on the cotton balls without me knowing...that must from that shoot we just completed earlier today!"

Ahah - the old, old principle "If all else fails, CHEAT" Me likee. So much more refeeened than a sign saying "No sweaty people photographed".
Now, can I interest anyone is a bottle of exclusive, 'imported from Europe' elixir/snake oil? As worn by all the crowned heads of Europe? NO? Oh, well.......

Thanks for the input everyone. Very useful info. I will definitely think about powder next time.

After all, it is very hot where I live. Since I shoot most of my photos outside, I guess face sweat might be the problem.