Those Eyes! | Millbury, MA Child and Baby Photographer

For the very first Teach Me Tuesday, I thought I'd answer one of the questions I'm asked the most often about my photos: How do you get your eyes to look so clear and shiny?

Eyes are my most favorite part of the photos that I take, and I like to highlight them. Many people think I Photoshop them or do something specific to just the eyes, but the real answer is that I don't do anything different to the eyes at all!

I LOVE my prime lenses, specifically my Canon 50 1.2L. I am obsessed with it on my Canon 5D MK III, and it very rarely leaves my camera. It creates some of the most beautiful bokeh (that blurry background) around! I shoot as close to wide open as possible for the situation, thanks to my prime lens, and I make sure to focus on the eyes. This helps me get those tack sharp eyes while the rest of the image flows around it softly with that gorgeous depth of field.

You just need to practice a lot, learn how to shoot on manual, know your lighting, and understand your camera. Start shooting at 2.2, then 2.0, then 1.8, 1.4, etc. I've found that every lens has a "sweet spot" and this just takes practice to find what works best for you and your style of shooting. While I know everyone thinks that it's my camera that takes the great photos, there really is a little more involved than just having a great camera. If you think it's easy, I would challenge you to take a 50mm 1.2L and use it at 1.2 and achieve nice, sharp eyes within your first 10 photos.

I understand the 1.2L is a bit on the pricey side, but you can definitely get some great, sharp eyes with other primes, such as the 50mm 1.8. This was my very first prime, and it is about $100. If you don't have a prime lens, practice at the lowest aperture of your lens and see what you can do! If you have any technical questions, I'm always happy to answer them for you.