It’s a well-shot interview for a video, but the subject’s eyes vanish behind a bright, mirror-like glare. Sometimes the lenses even glow, giving the person an unintentional alien look. Viewers can’t see the eyes, distracting from trust and engagement.
When light bounces off the lens toward the camera, change the angle of the light, camera, or subject. The reflection usually no longer lines up with the lens.
Anti-reflective coatings help, but they rarely eliminate all reflections under bright lights or glowing computer monitors.
We almost always can avoid reflections with adjustments on location or at home. Here’s what to try first and a short checklist to use on every shoot.
Ask people to remove their glasses. Most people are fine taking them off for a short interview. If they agree, you’ve solved it instantly.
Adjust the lights. Raise or move the lights higher and farther off so the reflection misses the camera. Use larger, softer modifiers such as softboxes and diffusion panels. Softer light produces less concentrated glare. Add tools or materials to block or direct light from hitting the glasses.
Change camera or subject position. Tilt the camera slightly up or down, or ask the subject to turn their head a few degrees. Small changes in angle will usually move the reflection out of frame without noticeably changing the composition.
Tilt the glasses slightly. If someone is comfortable, a tiny tilt of the glasses frame (chin changes the reflection angle). It should look natural, not awkward.
Dim or reposition bright monitors. If the reflection is from a laptop or phone screen, lower the screen brightness, switch to dark mode, or move the webcam above the screen so the monitor’s reflection doesn’t hit the glasses at the same angle as the camera.
Other Ideas for video. Wear contacts. Record alternate shots (wider to reduce head-on reflections in the primary interview). Edit to use cutaways to minimize time where the glare is noticeable.
A few minutes of direction and lighting adjustments will preserve eye contact, keep the viewer engaged, and ensure your speaker’s message is what shines, not their lenses.
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