Light from the Eyes
Catch the light in the eyes to bring the photo to life

It is not that hard to photograph the reflection of a light in the subject's eyes, but it require some cooperation from your subject. Here are a couple of easy steps you can follow to ensure that there is just a hint of light in the eyes:

Make sure the eyes are open —  Get them to look straight at you and open wide! Use a flash, even when outside — this technique is called "fill flash". When your subject is outside in daylight, there will probably not be much of any light to reflect in their eyes. Use your camera's flash to serve as the catch light. Use a reflector — purchase a photography reflector or  anything that reflects light will work: the sunshade on your car or a piece of metal or aluminum foil. Adjust the reflector until you can see the catch light in the eyes of your subject.

This  small and simple method can make a huge difference in your portrait photography.