We’ve talked about Pink Eye and how to avoid it. Now it’s time to talk about a common affliction — the dreaded Red Eye. How does it happen and how can we avoid it?

What is Red Eye?

Here’s the good news — Red Eye isn’t a physical ailment or condition. It is, however, the hazard that all photographers face when taking photos of anyone or anything that has eyes. You’ve seen the dreaded demon-eye effect that occurs when the camera flash bounces off the eye of a person or pet. An otherwise wonderful picture can be ruined by this.

Technically, this is called red-eye and is caused when the pupil of your subject’s eye is wide open and the light from the camera’s flash reflects off the person’s retina. In people, the color ends up red; in pets, the color is often green. [Read more…]