 Tammy M. Richards |
Red Eye Reduction My camera doesn't seem to be doing a very good job of reducing the red eye in my subjects. I set the camera to red eye reduction, yet many of the people in my photos still have red eyes. My camera software cleans the images up a bit, but in some shots I can't correct the eyes as much as I would like to (especially blue eyes). Is there something else I can do while I'm photographing that would minimize the red eyes? Thanks!
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Christopher A. Vedros |
The red-eye function on most cameras fires off a pre-flash or series of pre-flashes to try to get the subjects' pupils to contract before the picture is taken. Sometimes this works, sometimes it doesn't. The only other thing you can do while shooting the picture to minimize red-eye is to increase the distance between your flash and your lens. This is usually done by putting an accessory flash on a flash bracket. There's not really much else that you can do when using the built-in flash on your camera.
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Justin G. |
Chris, doesn't red eye occur when the subject looks directly into the lens? Well if this is true, then you could put a little sticker right to the left or right of your lens and advise your subjects to look at the sticker instead of the lens. My camera (Canon Elan 7E) has a small light on it instructing the subjects where to look and this helps deter them from looking directly into the glass of the lens. justin
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Tammy M. Richards |
Thanks for your wonderful suggestions, Chris & Justin! I have been thinking about purchasing an external flash and bracket for my camera, so I may go ahead and do that.
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Maria Melnyk |
Yea, for this reason I never use the pop-up flash - always an external one. Even a small one will help. When I'm only doing snapshooting and not weddings, I use a small flash instead or my usual Canon 550EX - I use the 220EX or the larger 420EX, and a cheap $12 bracket I got from Adorama. Plus the $50 cord, of course.
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Tammy M. Richards |
Thanks for the helpful information, Maria!
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Roy Blinston |
You say "many of the people have red eyes". I am assuming here that you are photographing a large group of people. If so, then this happens. With any large group there will always be someone looking directly into the camera. Some will be OK, some will not. Another suggestion is to hold something novel in your hand (stretched outward away from your camera) and tell people to look at that. If the subject is funny, like a small sign saying CHEESE (or Onions) then you will also get a favourable smile from the group. This is providing you can hold and take the pic with one hand on your camera.
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Maria Melnyk |
That's a good suggestion, Roy, I never tried that before. In either case, a professional photographer should never use pop-up flash, or any flash directly on the camera. Not only does the photo not look as good, but the photographer him/herself will look like nothing special.
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Tammy M. Richards |
Thanks for your comments & suggestions, Roy & Maria.
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