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Tip #116

[How can I fix red eye in my photos??? 
>Allen Jackson
>>allennj@mindspring.com
>>
>>red eye fix
>>
>>To whom it may concern, can someone PLEASE tell me step-by-step what to do
>>to  effectively fix red (and green for animals) eyes in photos, short of
>>painting over the affected area

Joe writes. . .

I typically use the Clone Tool if there is any color in the eye to sample. Or if they're totally blown I'll pick a color in the Color Picker which will look natural and use the Paint Brush. I then set my Clone Brush or Paint Brush blending mode to Darken and paint over the red eye with a medium opacity, say 40% to 50%. As the color takes over and the red eye begins to disappear, increase the painting or cloning opacity until the eye looks natural. Don't forget to make a small glint of light "catchlight" in the eye when you're done coloring. It almost always occurs naturally and without it, the eyes tend to look dead.

[editor note: use a small size, antialiased brush tip for the catchlight, or, if you have a problem getting it just right, just pick one up one from "eye" of another photo. Find one as close and compatible as possible. Additionally, many gurus will utilize the Curves palette to remove or change the cast of coloration. Others will convert just the red eye portion to grayscale, then re-colorize them using the Hue/Saturation palette once back in CYMK or RGM mode. This keeps the nuances of the eye -- careful though, it also eliminates the color!
... Most of the new digial cameras on the market have a "red eye reduction" fuction which is a pre-flash that closes the pupils of the subject, thus cutting light from entering the eye. Now, that's all not necessary if you'll just use the old-time photographers' trick -- tell the subject to look just to the side or above the camers... NOT into the camera lens.
... To become an expert on photo retouching, like Joe, you really should go and pick up a copy of the PHOTOSHOP RETOUCHING HANDBOOK by Carol Braverman. The book and CD will give you the power to master most any project that comes along.]

Good luck!
Joe

Hey... thank you very much, Joe!

Joseph Kling is pre-press specialist, photoshop photo retouch expert, and generous contributor to the content of Photoshop Tips & Tricks!
see: Joe's Photo Retouching Seminar!

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