The dreaded 'red-eye', what causes it and
The dreaded 'red-eye', what causes it and

how can you get rid of it I'll tell you
how can you get rid of it I'll tell you

right after the intro.
right after the intro.

Hey welcome back to ask David Bergman,
Hey welcome back to ask David Bergman,

of course I'm here answering your
of course I'm here answering your

photography questions.
photography questions.

Today I've got one from Kellene T. and
Today I've got one from Kellene T. and

she asks "how do you avoid your subjects
she asks "how do you avoid your subjects

getting'red-eye' or 'evil eye'...
getting'red-eye' or 'evil eye'...

Oh 'evil eye' - I like the way that sounds.
Oh 'evil eye' - I like the way that sounds.

Colleen yes,
Colleen yes,

I'm sure you've seen it right, you take a
I'm sure you've seen it right, you take a

picture your friends at a bar one night,
picture your friends at a bar one night,

you're all out partying and you take a
you're all out partying and you take a

picture, and everybody has that bright
picture, and everybody has that bright

'red-eye' that makes them look somewhat
'red-eye' that makes them look somewhat

devilish, well they're probably not
devilish, well they're probably not

actually the devil, although I don't know
actually the devil, although I don't know

your friends, maybe, but most likely
your friends, maybe, but most likely

that's not the case really, what's
that's not the case really, what's

happening there is, that red color comes
happening there is, that red color comes

from when the flash, hits the back of
from when the flash, hits the back of

your retina, and then bounces back into
your retina, and then bounces back into

the lens.
the lens.

What it is is though there's a
What it is is though there's a

lot of blood vessels back there and it
lot of blood vessels back there and it

picks up that red color and shows in the
picks up that red color and shows in the

picture, really the more dilated your
picture, really the more dilated your

pupils are the wider your pupils are, the
pupils are the wider your pupils are, the

better chance that you're gonna have that.
better chance that you're gonna have that.

So in dark environments your, your
So in dark environments your, your

eyes, generally are gonna be more dilated,
eyes, generally are gonna be more dilated,

and more open, so that you you it's gonna
and more open, so that you you it's gonna

be harder to avoid 'red-eye' with certain
be harder to avoid 'red-eye' with certain

things there, also when you... the flash you
things there, also when you... the flash you

would think would make your pupils
would think would make your pupils

constrict right?
constrict right?

But the flash just happens too fast,
But the flash just happens too fast,

it's not enough time for your pupils to
it's not enough time for your pupils to

constrict down, to close down,
constrict down, to close down,

to avoid that 'red-eye',
to avoid that 'red-eye',

the other thing that might slow down that
the other thing that might slow down that

reaction time is alcohol, right,
reaction time is alcohol, right,

so if you're at a bar, maybe you're drinking,
so if you're at a bar, maybe you're drinking,

you're in a dark environment, there is
you're in a dark environment, there is

alcohol involved, that slows down all of
alcohol involved, that slows down all of

your body's reaction times,
your body's reaction times,

including your pupils.
including your pupils.

So pictures of your friends
So pictures of your friends

at a bar most likely you're gonna have'red-eye'.
at a bar most likely you're gonna have'red-eye'.

Another thing is children
Another thing is children

believe it or not, children have bigger
believe it or not, children have bigger

pupils than adults, so a drunk child at a
pupils than adults, so a drunk child at a

bar, they're definitely gonna have 'red-eye',
bar, they're definitely gonna have 'red-eye',

so all right I'm joking about drunk,
so all right I'm joking about drunk,

drunk children, please don't comment that
drunk children, please don't comment that

I talked about drunk children, just a
I talked about drunk children, just a

joke... doesn't, don't don't drink kids.
joke... doesn't, don't don't drink kids.

All right anyway so, how do you avoid getting
All right anyway so, how do you avoid getting

'red-eye', well now that you know what
'red-eye', well now that you know what

causes it, there's a few things we can do
causes it, there's a few things we can do

about it.
about it.

The first thing is the reason
The first thing is the reason

it really happens is, because the angle
it really happens is, because the angle

of the flash has to be... the flash has to
of the flash has to be... the flash has to

be almost in line with the lens, that's
be almost in line with the lens, that's

why a lot of like point shoot cameras
why a lot of like point shoot cameras

where the flash is right there next to
where the flash is right there next to

the lens, you're going to see it more
the lens, you're going to see it more

than with an off-camera flash, like this,
than with an off-camera flash, like this,

because when it that angle needs to go
because when it that angle needs to go

right into the person's eye, and then
right into the person's eye, and then

right back into the lens, the further
right back into the lens, the further

away you are, the more that angle is
away you are, the more that angle is

going to be on axis right?
going to be on axis right?

So if you're right up close to somebody, the flash is
So if you're right up close to somebody, the flash is

actually even at the same distance.
actually even at the same distance.

It's gonna appear a little higher, there's
It's gonna appear a little higher, there's

less chance of it happening, but the
less chance of it happening, but the

further away you are, there's an old rule
further away you are, there's an old rule

of thumb that basically says,
of thumb that basically says,

the flash head should be one inch away
the flash head should be one inch away

from the lens for each foot you are back
from the lens for each foot you are back

from your subject.
from your subject.

So if you're six feet back
So if you're six feet back

from your subject, the flash ideally
from your subject, the flash ideally

should be at least six inches above the
should be at least six inches above the

lens or more to avoid that 'red-eye'.
lens or more to avoid that 'red-eye'.

That's just you know kind of a rough rule of
That's just you know kind of a rough rule of

thumb, but it gives you a good idea of
thumb, but it gives you a good idea of

how that works.
how that works.

So the further away you are,
So the further away you are,

you really want to get that flash
you really want to get that flash

off camera.
off camera.

So if you're shooting with a
So if you're shooting with a

DSLR, where you can take the flash off
DSLR, where you can take the flash off

camera that's a great way to avoid'red-eye'.
camera that's a great way to avoid'red-eye'.

You will not have 'red-eye' if you
You will not have 'red-eye' if you

take this flash off camera either
take this flash off camera either

wirelessly or with a cord, and you know
wirelessly or with a cord, and you know

in the studio that never really happens,
in the studio that never really happens,

because you usually have studio lights
because you usually have studio lights

off camera, so that's not really gonna
off camera, so that's not really gonna

happen, it's usually more of a
happen, it's usually more of a

point-and-shoot or phone type of problem.
point-and-shoot or phone type of problem.

Another obvious way to prevent 'red-eye' is
Another obvious way to prevent 'red-eye' is

to shoot without a flash, if you're in a
to shoot without a flash, if you're in a

place where you can, you have a camera
place where you can, you have a camera

that you can push up the ISO and shoot
that you can push up the ISO and shoot

it has better low-light capabilities you
it has better low-light capabilities you

can photograph in lower light, maybe the
can photograph in lower light, maybe the

slower shutter speed or whatever that
slower shutter speed or whatever that

you know, your settings allow you to.
you know, your settings allow you to.

If you can photograph without a flash then
If you can photograph without a flash then

you will definitely not get 'red-eye'
you will definitely not get 'red-eye'

there's no possibility of it, when you
there's no possibility of it, when you

don't, aren't using the flash.
don't, aren't using the flash.

Another thing you can do is these
Another thing you can do is these

cameras now are pretty advanced and
cameras now are pretty advanced and

redeye is a big problem so...
redeye is a big problem so...

a lot of these flashes will
a lot of these flashes will

emit a 'red-eye' reduction mode pre flash.
emit a 'red-eye' reduction mode pre flash.

Where basically what it'll do is fire a
Where basically what it'll do is fire a

little flash right before the actual
little flash right before the actual

flash that's taking the photograph,
flash that's taking the photograph,

that's being used in the photograph, so
that's being used in the photograph, so

what that does, by that early flash,
what that does, by that early flash,

actually will make your pupils constrict,
actually will make your pupils constrict,

so they're smaller, so you have less
so they're smaller, so you have less

chance of 'red-eye', or if you do it's going
chance of 'red-eye', or if you do it's going

to be a lot smaller.
to be a lot smaller.

Not that big full, full eye 'red-eye'.
Not that big full, full eye 'red-eye'.

Another thing is you could photograph
Another thing is you could photograph

people candidly,
people candidly,

where they're not looking right at the
where they're not looking right at the

lens, if, if you're often you know talking
lens, if, if you're often you know talking

to somebody or something like that and make
to somebody or something like that and make

candids, you're not gonna have red in
candids, you're not gonna have red in

those photographs either, you really
those photographs either, you really

have to be looking directly into the
have to be looking directly into the

lens so that light bounces right back in.
lens so that light bounces right back in.

Lastly if you've tried all these things,
Lastly if you've tried all these things,

or you really just have to photograph
or you really just have to photograph

somebody in a situation where there's
somebody in a situation where there's

gonna be 'red-eye', look you can always fix
gonna be 'red-eye', look you can always fix

it in post right there, every, pretty much
it in post right there, every, pretty much

every photo editing software has a
every photo editing software has a

'red-eye' thing that you can go in and you
'red-eye' thing that you can go in and you

can click where the 'red-eye' is...
can click where the 'red-eye' is...

Photoshop has this, Lightroom has it,
Photoshop has this, Lightroom has it,

you can click where the 'red-eye' is and it'll just color
you can click where the 'red-eye' is and it'll just color

the red into a different color so
the red into a different color so

basically it gets rid of that 'red-eye'.
basically it gets rid of that 'red-eye'.

Obviously it's the last resort, it's not ideal,
Obviously it's the last resort, it's not ideal,

you're better off preventing it in the
you're better off preventing it in the

first place, but it certainly is an
first place, but it certainly is an

option if you've done all those things.
option if you've done all those things.

So Killene, thanks for asking that
So Killene, thanks for asking that

question, that's how you deal with 'red-eye'.
question, that's how you deal with 'red-eye'.

That's what causes it, and things you can
That's what causes it, and things you can

do to prevent it, thanks for asking that,
do to prevent it, thanks for asking that,

listen if you have your own photo
listen if you have your own photo

question, go to askDavidBergman.com
question, go to askDavidBergman.com

There is a form there, fill it out I will pick
There is a form there, fill it out I will pick

the best ones and answer them on a
the best ones and answer them on a

future show.
future show.

Also don't forget we're here
Also don't forget we're here

on Adorama TV...
on Adorama TV...

man there's so many great
man there's so many great

photo hosts on this channel, lots of
photo hosts on this channel, lots of

great photo educational videos here.
great photo educational videos here.

So make sure you subscribe, click the little
So make sure you subscribe, click the little

bell so you get notifications, and you
bell so you get notifications, and you

can watch them all day long, until your
can watch them all day long, until your

heart's desire, thanks so much for
heart's desire, thanks so much for

joining me.
joining me.

I'll have a new question next week.
I'll have a new question next week.

See you back here next time!
See you back here next time!