Fix Dull AI Eyes: A Quick Guide to Editing Catchlights

Why Your AI Headshot's Eyes Look Flat

You got your new headshot, and something feels off. The smile is good, the suit fits, but you look... a little vacant. The problem is almost always the eyes. They’re dark, matte, and missing life. Real eyes have a wet, reflective surface that catches light. An AI often renders them like polished stone. Without that glimmer, your gaze lacks connection. I’ve seen brilliant lawyers and warm therapists get images where their eyes look like doll eyes—perfectly colored but utterly dead. That tiny spark isn’t just a detail; it’s 80% of your engagement with the viewer.

The Simple Tool You Already Have

You don’t need fancy software. Open the photo editor on your phone or computer. Find the “Dodge” tool. It’s in nearly every app, from Photoshop to free ones like Photopea or even Snapseed (look for “Selective” adjustments). The Dodge tool lightens only the areas you paint. Set it to “Highlights” at about 10-15% strength. Use a small, soft brush, just a few pixels wider than you think you need. Now, instead of painting a big blob, tap. Think of adding a pinprick of light, not a spotlight. One or two gentle taps per eye is your starting point.

Place Your Catchlight in the Right Spot

Location is everything. A catchlight in the wrong place makes you look shifty or surprised. Here’s the rule: the light should be at the 10 o’clock or 2 o’clock position in the iris. Imagine your eye is a clock. If the light sits at 12 o’clock (dead center top), you look possessed. If it’s at 6 o’clock (the bottom), you look exhausted. Place it in the upper third. One catchlight per eye is enough. Make them symmetrical. If you add one at 10 o’clock in the left eye, mirror it at 2 o’clock in the right. This mimics a single, natural light source like a window or a softbox.

The One Mistake That Looks Creepy

Overdoing it. This is the fastest way to ruin a good photo. A catchlight should be a subtle brightening, not a glowing white disc. The mistake I see most is someone using a brush that’s too hard and too opaque, leaving a stark, perfect circle that looks like a laser beam reflection. It screams “edited.” Your catchlight should have soft, feathered edges and should not be brighter than the whites of the eyes. If you zoom out and the first thing you see is two white dots, you’ve gone too far. Dial the opacity back. The goal is for someone to feel the life, not see the edit.

Compare Before and After for Instant Impact

Open your original image and your edited version side-by-side. Cover everything but the eyes. Which version feels more alert, more present, more trustworthy? I bet it’s the one with the catchlights. That’s the test. I had a client, a teacher, who said her original AI headshot made her look “switched off.” We added two tiny taps of light. Suddenly, she looked approachable and attentive. The rest of the image was identical, but the entire feeling changed. She didn’t just look better; she looked like herself.

Your eyes are the handshake of your portrait. A 30-second edit with a tool you already own can transform a flat image into one that connects. Start with a tap, not a stroke. Check the clock position. Walk away for a minute, then look again. When it’s right, you won’t see the edit—you’ll just see you.