Can you light an eyeball for a close-up without seeing the light source in the eye?

we decided to have a little macro fun of sorts during March break with the kids to see who had the most interesting eyeball - tried a few different things but just gave up as the kids were losing interest but if you had to light an eyeball for a macro shot is there a way of doing it (we used a constant light LED) without seeing the light source reflected in the eye?

pictures are from a 5D3 with a 100L macro

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Hi, Given the convex curvature of the cornea, you are going to have a hard time avoiding reflections.

I would take two images with a smallish source, but moved for the second, and clone over the highlight from the donor site in the other image - IYSWIM.

Otherwise, either mess with polarizers or flood a white wall behind the camera (eyepiece covered) - but that just softens and enlarges the reflection, making it somewhat less noticeable.

The key to lighting a reflective surface is to bounce the light back onto the surface. If i was going to do eye close up, I would have my lights faceing a large white surface (wall/or sheet) and have the subject faceing it. The wall is so large that it will not show a catch light shape in the eye.

I figured that something like that would be the solution if you could get the correct angle but we tried a version of that but on an extreme eye close-up, the eye is a mirror and we could see it in the eye.

I still think this is the solution however.

What about outdoors on an overcast day?

wallstreetoneil wrote in post #17481960
I figured that something like that would be the solution if you could get the correct angle but we tried a version of that but on an extreme eye close-up, the eye is a mirror and we could see it in the eye.

I still think this is the solution however.

I think to get the correct angle it would require something shaped like a studio umbrella but larger.

Probably easier to move the light sorce two or three times, take a number of photos, and create a composite of the eye from the part of each that does not show the catch light.

Nogo wrote in post #17481991
I think to get the correct angle it would require something shaped like a studio umbrella but larger.

Probably easier to move the light sorce two or three times, take a number of photos, and create a composite of the eye from the part of each that does not show the catch light.

That sounds like the best way...but you have to be carefull to match the angle of the eye to lens each time.

An entire wall isn't enough. I tried, and the eye reflects the wall, the walls on either side, floor, ceiling and the camera. A featureless reflector very close to hemisphere coverage is needed, like lying supine atop a mountain peak on a cloudy day. Or fake it in PS.

RicoTudor wrote in post #17483093
An entire wall isn't enough. I tried, and the eye reflects the wall, the walls on either side, floor, ceiling and the camera. A featureless reflector very close to hemisphere coverage is needed, like lying supine atop a mountain peak on a cloudy day. Or fake it in PS.

I've never had mountain thing going on, but I was shooting in a full white room

Something like this?

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that's a great shot!

I'm wondering if polarized film over your flash and a polarizer on your lens would work. I've seen examples where this approach removes a lot of reflections on jewelry and glass. I have some of the film (available online) but have yet to actually get around to using it, one of my many rainy day projects and with the lack of rain in CA.....

But the above approach, trying to get the light to reflect only in the black pupil (or maybe the white of the eye) is a great idea too!

damn.


hope this post has helped.