How to Avoid Photo Red Eye

We've all received pictures from the photo lab only to find that the eyes of friends, loved ones and even the family pet have taken on a red glow. Rest assured, this is a problem that can be avoided with relative ease.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Adjustable Flash
• Cameras
• External Flash Units
• Film
• Flash Cables
• Flash Meters
• Cameras

Your Camera

1. Attach a flash gun or detachable flash to the camera with a flash cable that connects to the front of most 35 mm cameras through a small socket.

2. Set the shutter speed of a manual camera to 1/60 second using the shutter speed dial on the top-left side of the camera.

3. Set an automatic camera to flash mode and attach a flash gun to the socket on the front of the camera.

4. Hold the flash gun a couple of feet to one side of the camera and slightly above the subject's head.

5. Press the shutter release on top of the camera.

Your Subjects

6. Turn on the lights in the room so that your subjects' pupils will decrease in size.

7. Ask them to look to the side of your camera rather than straight at the camera when you snap the picture.

8. Divert babies or pets so that they look away from the camera.

Tips & Warnings

• "Red eye" is caused by flash lighting reflecting off the back of the retina.

[canont1i]

on 6/21/2009 IPhoto on the Mac will also do it...

[tinksmagic]

on 4/16/2009 I use the photo editing software, it's all automatic.

on 11/22/2005 My photography teacher taught me this in school - Simply stick a cigarette paper over the flash window. That defuses the light enough.

on 11/22/2005 Software that automatically removes red eye from digital photos exists. There is also manual software. The best I've seen that is available is in Adobe's PhotoDeluxe.

on 11/22/2005 If you do end up with "red eye," you can buy a pen that will remove it from your photos. It costs about $4 and can be purchased at hobby or craft stores. This has saved many of my pictures!