Red eye is caused by light reflecting back off the retina at the back of the eye.

The chances of red eye happening and destroying an image are high if you are new to photography. One trick that usually works is to ask the subject to look at a bright light seconds before you take your image. The best way to avoid it is by placing your flash off camera and at a 45 degree angle to the subject.

One of the handiest tricks for avoiding red eye is to use the double flash technique. When you are ready to take your shot pre-program your camera to give a double flash. The first flash will make the eyes of whoever you are photographing react by narrowing their pupil size. The second flash is for the images that you are taking. Not all cameras have the pre-program for a double flash facility; but a flash on an old camera will do the same if you time it correctly.

Another technique is to angle the camera so that you are not shooting head-on portraits. This should also help to avoid any unwanted glare from the image. Some photographers use tracing paper to diffuse the light. The tracing paper is placed over the flash window. It is a method that can work, but it would be my least favourite.

While all the above may work well, the best way to avoid red eye in photography is by using a flash off camera or by bouncing the light of a surface that will direct the light back onto the subject.

Camera designers have gone to great efforts to minimize the effect of red eye, and there are many software programs that claim to remove it digitally. For those who are into digital photography and have access to Adobe Photoshop the red eye can be removed in two minutes.

To remove red eye in Photoshop follow these instructions.

1. Select the Red Eye brush tool from the toolbox.
2. Zoom in on the eyes.
3. You may need to click on the Default Colour button and reset the colours. Once done make sure that the Sampling tab is set to First Click.
4. Resize the brush tool to suit the image.
5. Place the brush pointer over the red eye and click.

This method works by changing the colours of pixels in the area affected. If it does not work completely the first time restart the process and set the Tolerance tab to a higher percentage. When the tolerance tab is set correctly all the red eye should be removed.

Identify your subject

Looking through your camera’s viewing window, do you know what you’re shooting at? What do you want to take a picture of? What is it that captivates your interest? Identify the beauty and the excitement that you see, and get a sense of the essence of your subject. Is it awe inspiring, peaceful and serene, or bursting with action and life? Identify your subject and capture its essence.

Focus

Your digital camera’s auto focus is sufficient for most picture taking conditions, but digital cameras have a slower reaction time to get in focus. To compensate for this, you should press down on the shutter button only half way until you here a beep and do not release the button yet. Your camera will set the shutter speed and aperture and your subject is in focus. Now you are ready to press the shutter button all the way down.

Rule of thirds

When composing or lining up your shot, you may find that using your camera’s framing guideline makes things a little easier. A framing guideline looks like a tic tac toe board. Two vertical lines and two horizontal lines divide the viewing frame into equal parts. Putting an object or line in the exact center should be avoided. Try putting those objects on the intersections of the lines of your framing guide. This allows the viewer’s eyes to travel towards the subject or the highlight part of the photo that you want to emphasize.

Framing

Take advantage of using natural formations that can frame your subject. Just like those postcards or calendar pictures of tropical beaches and coastlines that make use of palm trees with overhanging branches that create a natural frame around the main subject. Wedding photographers make use of arches and doorways to naturally frame the wedding couple. Framing can serve two purposes; it draws the viewer’s eyes to the main part of the photo, and it provides a sense of distance as in landscape photos.

Lines and shapes

Horizontal lines in a photo create a calming effect, vertical lines create a sense of strength, diagonal lines create movement, and S-shaped lines like a winding road, can create a dynamic effect that leads the eyes into and through the photo. Using lines and shapes with the rule of thirds can really create a well balanced and composed photo.

These are just a few of the digital photography tips that you can use to take better digital photos. Choose your subject, line up and focus your shot, remember the rule of thirds, and try framing your subject. You will notice that you are improving and taking better pictures the more you learn what makes a great photo.