How Does Red Eye Reduction Work?

Reduce Red Eye By Changing the Light

Have you noticed that when you take pictures of people who aren't looking at the camera, they never have "horror movie eyes" with red pupils? That's because of the angle of the light from the flash. Red eye in photos happens when light reflects off the blood vessels in the eye. When your subject doesn't look directly at the camera, you reduce red eye. When you open the curtains and use natural light, instead of the flash, or take pictures outdoors, in natural light, no red eye. It also helps when you walk in for a close up, rather than zoom in. Zooming in brings the lens closer to the eye.

Reduce Red Eye with a Camera Feature

There are digital cameras equipped with a red eye reduction feature. They actually flash low level light at the subject before the picture is ever taken. This constricts the pupils in the eye, and then when the picture is taken the real flash doesn't light up the blood vessels in the pupil. Camera stores also sell special pens you can use to draw over the red eye on your photographic prints. Also, if your flash is separate from your camera, you can buy a diffuser to go over it or make your own diffuser with tissue paper to soften the light. It helps too, to point your flash at the wall, rather than the subject's face.

Reduce Red Eye with Computer Software

You can open downloaded photos in a photo editing program on your computer, like Photoshop or iPhoto. The newest versions of these programs have a red eye reduction feature. The same feature works when you scan your photos into the computer, and then edit them in the photo editing program. Even your photo kiosk at the drug store probably has a red eye reduction feature. Then there is always old fashioned retouching. In Photoshop, you select the red in the pupil with the magic wand tool, then delete it and refill with less-than-opaque black. Or if the red is not too vivid, pour the black on top of the selected pupil with the paint can tool, then go back and dab white on the little dot. Of course, specialists can use the channel mixer and mask techniques in Photoshop to reduce red eye. In any case, your photos no longer have to horror movie eyes.

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