Red-Eye Effect

Red-Eye Effect refers to the way in which a subject’s eyes tend to turn red in certain pictures. Red eye will appear in pictures if the camera’s flash hits eye’s retina or if the subject’s iris doesn’t have enough time to sufficiently contract. While this phenomenon can be irritating to photographers, ophthalmologists use it regularly to conduct eye exams, specifically centered on the retina.

People with grey or blue eyes tend to suffer from the red-eye effect more because of the decreased amount of melanin in their irises. Less melanin allows more light to pass into the retina. The more light that hits the retina, the more likely that the subject will have red eyes in the resulting photo.

A photographer can reduce the chances of the red-light effect by using the bounce flash or refraining from using the flash altogether, if at all possible. However, if the photo is afflicted with the red-eye effect, a photographer can still get rid of it. Using computer software like Photoshop, a photographer or graphic designer can edit his pictures in a variety of ways, including eliminating the red-eye effect.