Photography Tips - Why Do People Get Red Eyes?

Photography Tips - Why Do People Get Red Eyes

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After everyone disperses you preview the photo on you LCD screen only to realize that they all have bright red eyes. Why does this always happen? It's called the red-eye effect. Here is a simple explanation as to why happens in photographs and some tips to help you avoid it.

This phenomenon occurs when you take a picture with a flash in a dimly lit environment. In dim light, the pupil is wide open to let enough light into the eye to allow you to see. When the flash goes off the bright light enters the pupil and reflects the red of the blood vessels that supply the retina.

Many animals have a reflective layer of tissue on their retinas that prevent this from happening called a tapetum lucidum. This tissue simply reflects the light back out of the eyes. That's why some animals' eyes seem to glow when you shine headlights or a flash light on them at night.

You don't have to have any red eyes in your pictures though. There are some simple steps you can take to avoid it. Most cameras have a red-eye setting. This setting makes the camera set off two flashes. The first small burst of light sends a warning to the eyes of the people you're photographing causing the pupils to contract. Then a second flash fires when you take the picture. This method works very well and will eliminate this problem from most of your pictures.

You can also cut down on the appearance of this phenomenon by having your flash farther away from the lens of the camera. If you have a digital SLR camera you can use a hand-held flash. Bouncing the light from your hand-held flash off ceiling will not only eliminate red eyes from your photo, but will also help you avoid getting the harsh shadows and flat look that some flash photography can have.

If your camera doesn't have a setting to help close your subject's pupils and you can't use a hand-held flash you can try taking the picture without a flash. Increasing your camera's ISO setting will make your camera's sensor more sensitive to light. Changing the f-stop to a lower number will open up the lens letting more light into the camera when you open the shutter. Changing these camera settings will help you get a properly exposed picture even in low light.

Red eyes in your picture aren't the end of the world. Even the most basic photo editing software programs can correct the eye color in your photographs. If you don't have a photo editing program try downloading free software like Picasa. You can correct the red-eye effect easily with this software.

Now that you know what causes it and how to avoid it you'll never have to see this phenomenon in your photos again.

Learn more about flash photography and other photography tips and tricks at Digital Photography Advisor. http://www.digital-photography-advisor.com

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