Catch light

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The term catch light is used to describe either the specular highlight in a subject's eye from a light source, or the light source itself. A catch light may simply be an artifact of the lighting method, or have been purposely engineered to add a glint or 'spark' to a subject's eye during photography. This technique is useful in both still and motion picture photography. Adding a catch light can help draw attention to the subject's eyes, which may otherwise get lost among other elements in the scene.

As a specific light source, a catch light is usually fairly dim or focused, as to not effect any other part of the scene or face. Many other lighting methods, however, are known for the distinctive or unique catch light they produce. Among those methods are ring lights, which produce several highlights in a ring, and large softboxes, which produce large, square highlights.

Audiences usually perceive eyes without specular highlights to be lifeless or evil, and for this reason many cinematographers specifically eliminate catch lights on antagonistic characters.

Catch lights are also referred to as eye lights or Obies, the latter a reference to Merle Oberon, who was frequently lit using this technique.