Specular highlights

[jcdeboever]

One of the many things that eludes me, are pre visualizing specular highlights. Bokeh balls, shimmering colors, and creamy backgrounds, etc. I was hoping to gain some insight into what to look for. Scene subject matter is one thing but to visualize the background may lead to better captures. I pretty much just stumble upon them, not realizing they're there.

 

[SquarePeg]

Not sure I know the technical terms for any of this but for specular highlights I usually find this in very late afternoon light shooting into the light but not directly into the sun or alternatively, shooting at actual lights that are out of the dof with the lens typically at full zoom if it's a zoom.

Nikon 105 @ f/5 - shooting into late day light


Nikon 105 @ f/3.2 - Christmas lights



For creamy bokeh backgrounds, other than the obvious subject/background separation and wide aperture, I feel like it's more about the lens than the actual background. The Nikon 105mm has gorgeous, IMO, creamy bokeh that is very pleasing to me. I also like the Fuji 50-230 bokeh for it's smoothness.

Nikon 105mm @ f/3.2


Fuji 50-230 @ 230 @ f/6.7

 

[fmw]

Don't feel bad, JC. I can't tell the difference between good bokeh and bad bokeh. It is all just out of focus for me. Specular highlights should be quite visible in the viewfinder.

 

[smoke665]

Not sure I know the technical terms for any of this but for specular highlights

You may not know the technical terms, but you excelled on these!!! Have you posted these before and I missed them, or have you been saving them to ration them out a little bit at a time. That spider shot is great, more please.

 

[SquarePeg]

You may not know the technical terms, but you excelled on these!!! Have you posted these before and I missed them, or have you been saving them to ration them out a little bit at a time. That spider shot is great, more please.

Thanks. I know I posted the spider one, or one of the other similar ones from that day but it's from last year and I'm pretty sure I posted the bee when I took it in Sept but the others maybe/maybe not.

 

[chuasam]

get one of these
Datacolor SpyderCube

the ball unit on the top is for seeing catchlights and specular highlights and seeing how they will appear.

 

[Braineack]

get one of these
Datacolor SpyderCube

the ball unit on the top is for seeing catchlights and specular highlights and seeing how they will appear.

thank you for actually addressing specular highlights

 

[Ysarex]

get one of these
Datacolor SpyderCube

the ball unit on the top is for seeing catchlights and specular highlights and seeing how they will appear.

I like it! Stocking stuffer!

Joe

 

[chuasam]

get one of these
Datacolor SpyderCube

the ball unit on the top is for seeing catchlights and specular highlights and seeing how they will appear.

I like it! Stocking stuffer!

Joe

man! you stuff stockings with expensive presents.

 

[photoflyer]

I agree the lens makes a big difference. I don't really like this photo but Square Peg's superior image reminded me of it. It was shot into the sun so I brought out the foreground with the flash. Canon T5 with 85mm f1.8, shot at f5. Really is too much lens for the T5 but I didn't have the 6D mark ii yet.

 

[Braineack]

I think we are confusing bokeh with specular highlights in here...

there are specular highlights all over the legs of that spider due to your flash.

 

[photoflyer]

I think we are confusing bokeh with specular highlights in here...

there are specular highlights all over the legs of that spider due to your flash.

Sorry for the confusion. You are correct, the technique I used was intended to bring out foreground highlights while shooting into the sun. I posted it because Square Peg's photo reminded me of it and I wanted to show the bokeh one can achieve from the 85mm f1.8 even when shot at f5.

 

[Derrel]

Specular highlights are BRIGHT, white, detail-less highlights...diffuse highlights are broader. The diffuse highlight on a subject can really help us get a sense of the shape and texture of an object.

 

[SquarePeg]

I think we are confusing bokeh with specular highlights in here...

there are specular highlights all over the legs of that spider due to your flash.

I think we are confusing bokeh with specular highlights in here...

there are specular highlights all over the legs of that spider due to your flash.

Sorry for the confusion. You are correct, the technique I used was intended to bring out foreground highlights while shooting into the sun. I posted it because Square Peg's photo reminded me of it and I wanted to show the bokeh one can achieve from the 85mm f1.8 even when shot at f5.

I’m sure I confused the terms. As I said in my post I don’t know much about the technical terms for a lot of this stuff. I thought the lit up bokeh balls (?) bubble bokeh (?) light bokeh (?) were what people referred to as specular highlights. Thanks for the correction.

 

[Derrel]

No worries on the use of the terms, just wanted to differentiate bokeh balls from specular highlights...