Comments on: Why Do We Get Red Eye in Photos?

By: Michael

Michael — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 03:15:00 +0000

Actually, the answer is not quite right. The red light reflex comes from the blood-rich choroid, a layer behind the retina. The retina is fairly transparent, so we are seeing blood vessels. In fact, the more melanin in the choroid, the LESS red the reflex.

By: Russ

Russ — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 02:20:00 +0000

Adding to what Charles said above, “red eye reduction” in cameras does just that – it reduces, but does not eliminate red eye. It simply makes it smaller, you’ll still have to REMOVE it later.

Also, the pre-flash not only delays the moment the actual photo is taken, it also chews up precious battery power.

Turn red-eye reduction OFF and fix red eye later on your computer.

By: MetFanMac

MetFanMac — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 20:34:00 +0000

In all my family’s photos only the ones with blue or green eyes get red-eyed. Brown-eyed people like and my father don’t.

By: Charles

Charles — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 12:43:00 +0000

A better solution to red eye if you are into photography is to have the flash either “bounce” off a ceiling or wall, or just separate the flash unit from the camera and attach it with a wire. It is the line of fire of the flash being lined up so perfectly with the line of shooting of the lens that catches the “red eye” reflection. Just get the flash off the camera or bounce it. Yes it takes more than your average point and shoot to do this.

With a point and shoot you are probably better to turn the flash off, the ASO speed as high as you can, and hold steady. Use available light.

The “red eye reduction” approach,where the camera fires a series of rapid fire flashes before you shoot, is an attempt to constrict the pupil of the one being photographed and lessen the red eye. It is a sure fire way to not get spontaneous informal portraits. It alerts your subject and whatever photo moment you had seen is gone.

Lastly , it is easy to fix red eye post production with most photo software, replacing the red with a dark tone.

By: B

Sat, 25 Oct 2008 04:01:00 +0000

Random, my white friends tend to get red eye on photos more often than my african friends. Can any1 explain why this is?

By: AMR

AMR — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 21:35:00 +0000

Light enters the eye through the pupil in the centre of the iris. The cornea refracts light.

By: Tara

Tara — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 21:26:00 +0000

That’s interesting. My cat normally has golden/green eyes. I have several different pictures of her. In one of them, she has red eyes, but in another she has blue eyes. Very bright blue.

By: Vickey

Vickey — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 20:00:00 +0000

There was a doctor on the CBS Early Show just this week who said that if in a group picture, your child is the only one who DOESN’T get red-eye, to immediately take them to the doctor because it signified a problem. They didn’t specify what that problem was.

By: Matt

Matt — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 19:30:00 +0000

@zantimisfit

That would be the tapetum lucidum, a layer of tissue behind or in the retina of certain animals, like cats, that helps them see in low light and darkness. Light reflecting back from the eyes of an animal with tapeta lucida is called “eyeshine” and occurs in a range of colors (why that is is beyond me). Cats’ eyes just happen to shine green and yellow, but rodents’ shine red and other animals shine different colors.

By: karissa

karissa — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 19:18:00 +0000

I read a story about blogging moms from different countries the other day. They were exchanging pics of the babies when the other mom was alarmed by a white mass on the baby’s eye. She called up the woman and told her it could be an awful cancer. Turns out she was right and saved that baby’s life thanks to the flash of the camera. Little bit still had to have the eye removed though. It’s better than death, I would assume.