Reflections on eyeglasses aren’t a “glasses problem” as much as a geometry problem: the lenses act like small mirrors. If the flash head or a bright window is positioned so its reflection bounces straight back toward the camera, you’ll see a white blob; change the angles (light, face, camera) and the reflection misses the lens.

Start by identifying what you’re seeing

Not all “reflections” are the same, and the fix depends on the look:

• A hard, rectangular or round bright patch (often the shape of a window or softbox): this is a specular reflection—a mirror-like bounce you can redirect.
• A milky veil that reduces contrast: often lens glare from bright sources just outside the frame, or light hitting the glasses at a shallow angle.
• Two small bright dots: catchlights from a small flash or bare bulb; these can be acceptable if placed high and to the side, but distracting if centered.

A simple rule explains most fixes: for a smooth surface, the angle in equals the angle out. If your camera sits in the “angle out” path, the reflection shows up. (physicsclassroom.com)

The fastest fix: move the light off-axis, not the person into a profile

If you’re using flash (on- or off-camera), avoid putting the brightest source close to the lens axis.

Off-camera flash: 30 seconds to clean frames

1. Put the flash to one side (left or right of the camera), not directly above the lens.
2. Turn the subject’s face slightly back toward the opposite side (a subtle 10–20° is often enough).
3. Keep the camera near where it is, and fine-tune by shifting the light a few inches.

This works because the reflection bounces away from the camera once the light is no longer centered. A small “smidge” of subject turn plus a side light is usually enough. (strobist.blogspot.com)

If the flash must stay near camera

Sometimes you’re at an event, using on-camera flash, and can’t set up stands. You still have options:

• Bounce the flash: Aim the head at a ceiling or wall so the apparent light source becomes a large surface above/behind you instead of a small point near the lens. This reduces harsh reflections and moves the reflection path away from the camera. (Nikon)
• Add a little side bounce: If you can rotate the flash head, bounce off a wall to your left/right rather than straight overhead. Directional bounce helps steer the reflection off the lens path.
• Raise the flash angle: If you can’t bounce, tilt the head slightly upward (or use a small bounce card) so the strongest beam isn’t aimed straight into the glasses.

Feathering: aim the modifier past the face

If you’re using an umbrella or softbox, the brightest part is often the center. Instead of pointing the modifier directly at the subject’s nose, point it so the subject is lit by the softer edge of the beam. The face stays bright, but the glasses see less direct “mirror” intensity. Feathering also makes the reflection easier to hide near the edge of the lens instead of in the pupil area.

Increase apparent source size and change direction

Bigger/softer light alone does not guarantee no reflections—big sources create big reflections. What helps is combining:

• Large source (so reflections are softer and less distracting)
• Off-axis placement (so reflections don’t come back to camera)

A small, hard flash near the lens tends to create a bright hotspot right where viewers look first.

Micro-adjustments that don’t look like “posing”

When you’re close but still getting a patch of glare, tiny physical changes can make the reflection miss the lens without changing the portrait’s feel.

Adjust the chin and gaze, not the whole head

• Lower the chin slightly often pushes the reflection downward, away from the camera’s view of the lens.
• Have the subject look just off the lens (toward your eyebrow or ear) rather than dead-center; the reflection path shifts.

Slightly tilt the glasses (the “invisible tweak”)

If the person is comfortable with it, ask for a barely noticeable change:

• “Lift the arms of the glasses a touch so the frames sit a bit higher behind your ears,” or
• “Tilt the bottom of the frames a hair toward your cheeks.”

This changes the lens angle just enough that the reflection no longer bounces into the camera. Keep it subtle so the glasses don’t look crooked.

Dealing with window light: treat the window like a giant softbox

A bright window is just a large light source. Its reflection can show up as a big rectangle, especially if:

• the subject faces the window directly, and
• the camera is roughly between subject and window (or near that axis).

Reposition: “window to the side” beats “window in front”

A reliable setup:

• Put the window 30–60° to one side of the subject (not directly in front).
• Place the camera more toward the shadow side, shooting a flattering 3/4 angle.
• Rotate the subject’s face slightly back toward the window until the face is lit—but watch the lenses while you do it.

You’re trying to keep the window reflection bouncing away from the camera, while still using the window as a soft key light.

Control window brightness and shape

If the window is too bright, reflections get more obvious. Make the window less “mirror-like” by reducing contrast:

• Sheer curtain / diffusion: turns a hard-edged bright rectangle into a softer, more even panel.
• Move the subject farther from the window: the window becomes relatively smaller and less intense from the glasses’ perspective, while still providing soft light.

Flagging: remove what the glasses “see”

If the reflection is coming from a specific part of the window, block that part from the glasses, not from the entire room:

• A piece of black foam core just out of frame can remove a hotspot.
• Negative fill (a black surface on the shadow side) can deepen the portrait while also reducing stray reflections.

Mixing flash and window: choose who is “in charge”

Glasses become difficult when you have two bright sources from different directions. Make the setup predictable by deciding which is the main light.

Option A: Window as key, flash as gentle fill

• Position the subject for clean window reflections first.
• Add bounced flash at low power to lift shadows without becoming a second obvious reflection.
• Keep flash direction close to the window direction (or bounce it so it feels like ambient).

Option B: Flash as key, window as background/edge

• Put flash off-axis and dial it to dominate the exposure on the face.
• Let the window go a bit brighter in the background (or pull a curtain) so it doesn’t become a competing reflection.
• Watch for the window rectangle in the lenses and shift subject/camera angle until it slides out of view.

The goal is to avoid two equally strong reflections that you can’t hide at the same time.

A quick, repeatable troubleshooting checklist

Use this sequence on location:

1. Look at the lenses, not the face: move your own head slightly while watching where the reflection travels.
2. Move the light first (left/right, up/down) before changing pose—small light moves often solve it instantly.
3. If on-camera flash, bounce whenever possible. (Nikon)
4. Feather the modifier so the glasses aren’t seeing the brightest part.
5. Micro-adjust chin/gaze, then (if needed) a subtle glasses tilt.
6. For window light, rotate the setup so the window is to the side, then diffuse/flag if the rectangle persists.

Why does this matter

Eyeglass glare hides eyes, and eyes carry most of the emotional information in a portrait—solving reflections keeps attention where viewers naturally look.

Sources

• Strobist: “Lighting 101: Lighting for Glasses.” (strobist.blogspot.com)
• Nikon (Digitutor / support): Bounce flash guidance for speedlights. (Nikon)
• The Physics Classroom: Law of reflection (angle in = angle out). (physicsclassroom.com)