BetterPhoto Q&A
Category: Flash Photography

Photography Question 

Katie Parks
 

'Green Eye' Effect in Animals


I have been tinkering with my lights in my studio to try and get a better feel for animal lighting. However, I can't figure out how to lessen the "green eye" effect my dogs have. Anyone know how to help me on this? Thanks!


To love this question, log in above
May 29, 2007

 

Ariel Lepor
  The eyes reflect ... if there is a green light in front of them, there you go. In Photoshop (or other program, I like Helicon Filter), just use a brightness brush with edge sensitivity (or select the eye first), and decrease the brightness. Or maybe it would be better if you could use a color adjustment brush over the area, to keep some data instead of just getting a black circle.
Ariel

ScrattyPhotography Blog


To love this comment, log in above
May 29, 2007

 

Jon Close
  Animal "green eye" happens for exactly the same reasons as human "red eye" - the ambient light is dim so the iris is dilated, and the flash is too near the axis of the lens. It is green because their retina has a green cast rather than red. The fix is also the same. Close the subject's iris by raising the ambient light level, and move the flash farther off-axis from the lens or use more diffuse light including bounce flash.


To love this comment, log in above
May 29, 2007

 

Alan N. Marcus
  Hi Katie,
Human red-eye and animal green-eye are products of the same action. Some of the light entering a transparent sphere will reverberate within and a high percentage will exit. Of the light that exits, a high percentage will be aimed directly backwards in the direction of the originating lamp. In other words, reflected light from the eyes will be traveling on-axis with the light source. As an example, in your car, as you drive at night, you are sitting almost directly over one of the headlights. Thus, you are on axis with this lamp. When this lamp shines on an animal eye, a big percentage will be directed back at the headlamp - which means at you too. The key point: Someone not on this line (axis) will not see the bright eye refection. The color of this refection is a function of the sphere’s diameter types of pigments and tissues encountered.
The 3M Corporation utilized this principle in the manufacture of high-tech reflective paints and highway signage, background screens for front projection, slide and movie projection screens and the like, all use glass beads. The principles are all the same: A high percentage of the light will be retuned to the originating light source.
A camera flash mounted close to the lens is on-axis lamp-lens and reveals red-eye in humans and green-eye in animals.
There are two countermeasures: 1) A pre-flash to cause the subject's eyes to contract to a tiny purple (somewhat effective). 2) Place light sources off-axis - i.e. move the lamps away from the camera lens, the further the better.
Alan Marcus


To love this comment, log in above
May 29, 2007

 

Katie Parks
  Thank you so much for you advice guys!! I turned off my flash and just used the lights and that seemed to do the trick, thank you again!


To love this comment, log in above
May 29, 2007

 

Melinda MD Laubscher
  Katie

You can adjust the photo on the computer as well if you have the right photo program. Me not having any lenses had to teach myself how to cheat with the computer. If you have corrol paint shop pro there is an adjustment that reads "red eye removal". There you can get a lot of options. Good luck.


To love this comment, log in above
May 30, 2007

 
This old forum is now archived. Use improved Forum here

Report this Thread