Sunday, May 24th, 2009...8:03 pm
How to Avoid Red Eye in Photos
This is an article i’ve published a while ago for a forum. I’ve decided to share the following nugget of advice for you all. I apologize for the advanced readers who already know this.
The dreaded red-eye effect or demonic looking eyes is frequently seen in photos. To avoid them one must understand how it is caused. If you understand how this effect is caused you might want to skip the following paragraph:
The red-eye effect is a result of quick bursts of light off of the retina. This burst of light is reflected off of the retina and into the camera. These quick exposures to light do not allow the pupil to close down small enough to avoid retina reflection. This is more frequently caused by on camera flash because the angle of reflection is close to perpendicular to the camera. The red-eye effect is more common when the ambient (or environmental) light is very low; thus causing the pupils to open up more.
To avoid this red-eye effect one can do the following: (1) Elevate one’s camera flash. This can be done by using an external flash or a camera bracket. This would provide a greater angle of reflection. (2) Move into an area where there is more light. You must also allow a few seconds for the pupils to close down and adjust to the light. (3) Position your camera angle to be above or below the camera subject. This would allow a greater angle of reflection. (4) Avoid on camera flash. Try using natural, continuous or ambient light sources to illuminate your subject(s). (5) Use bounce flash. Bounce your flash off flat objects to illuminate your subject. (6) Pre-flash. This is an option I’d avoid, subjects tend to dislike flashes. But, some cameras are equipped with pre-flashes (which are usually red) that flash onto the subject. In my experience, they’re not too effective but in theory it should work.
If you are somewhat camera savvy the following are some things one can do with their camera settings to avoid red-eye:
(1) Use faster film or lower ISO/ASA speeds. If your ISO speed is lower than there are a fewer chances that your film/sensor will be able to detect the light bouncing off of one’s retina. (2)If you cannot change your ISO/ASA speed, than using the same principle, aforementioned, one can increase your f-stop to allow less light into the camera. (3) Speed up your exposure (time) and allow less light to be absorbed into the camera.
If you could not use any of these tips and red-eye still exists in your photograph there is computer software that can eliminate your red-eye. One can use various software to correct red-eye: Google’s Picasa (freeware), Adobe’s Photoshop, Adobe’s Photo Elements, etc.
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