How to Remove Red Eye With Adobe PhotoShop

Red eye can ruin photographs, but Photoshop has tools to fix it.

Adobe Photoshop is useful for removing red eye defects in photographs. Red eye occurs when a camera flash reacts with the subject's retina. Red eye usually occurs in dim light--the subject's enlarged pupils help create the circumstances necessary for the visual imperfection. Use Photoshop's powerful masking and layering capabilities to get rid of red eye without changing the rest of the image. Fix one subject's red eyes, and then use the same technique to remove the flaw from other people's eyes.

Instructions

1. Scan in or upload the photograph you want to fix to the desktop. Open Photoshop and choose "File" and "Open." Select the file you want to open from the desktop.

2. Choose "Layer" and "Duplicate Layer" from the Menu bar and the sub menu. A second layer appears. Work on this layer and leave the original background intact. Choose "View" and "Actual Pixels" from the Menu bar and pull-down menu. The image magnifies. Hold down the "Spacebar" while you click and drag with the mouse to center the red eyes on the screen.

3. Click on the "Rectangular Marquee Tool" in the "Toolbox" palette, or hit "M" on the keyboard. Move the mouse to position the "Cross Hair" icon that appears on the image screen above and to the left of the subject's red eyes. Click with the mouse and drag down and to the right to create a box that surrounds both red eyes.

4. Choose "Select" and "Color Range" from the Menu bar and sub menu. The "Color Range" dialog box opens. Make sure "Sample Colors" appears in the "Selection Box." If not, choose it from the pull-down menu bar. Click with the cursor in the center of one of the red eyes. A white high-contrast image, or mask, appears in the "Preview Window" of the dialog box, displaying two white circles over black. Click "OK" to close the dialog box.

5. Two broken circles appear on top of the red eyes on your image screen. Choose "Select" and "Grow" from the Menu bar and submenu to enlarge the circles if they do not cover the entire red area. Repeat the command until you are satisfied with the shape of the mask.

6. Choose "Image," "Adjustments" and "Desaturate" from the Menu bar and sub menus. The red color disappears, leaving a dull gray color. Choose "Image," "Adjustments" and "Brightness/Contrast." from the Menu bar and sub menus. The "Brightness/Contrast" dialog box opens.

7. Move the "Brightness" slider to the left by clicking on it and dragging to the left with the mouse. Adjust the luminance, or light level of the eyes, until it matches with the surrounding scene.

8. Choose "Layer" and "Flatten Image." Save your image under a new file name.

References

• Adobe Systems: Photoshop CS3 Users Manual

Resources

• Creative Pro: Photoshop and Photography