I’m a portrait expert, here’s how I avoid the red-eye effect ruining my photos

Portrait (left) showing red-eye effect, portrait (right) at 3/4 angle showing no red-eye effect on blue gradient background

Stuck with a pop-up flash? Fear not, there are plenty of ways to avoid the red-eye effect (Image credit: Wendy Evans)

There are occasions when you really need to use flash when taking portraits, but on-camera (or pop-up) flash has a tendency to cause the red-eye effect. This is caused when the light from the flash reflects off the blood in the vessels at the back of the eye, straight back to the camera. This is why I find the best flashgun or strobe lights are so handy, I can simply angle the flash away from my subject so it bounces off a nearby surface.

But what if you only have an on-camera flash at your disposal? Thankfully, there are several ways to work around the red-eye effect, such as using a reflector, angling your subject away from the pop of flash, using a dedicated red-eye mode or fixing things in post-production.

Here's how to banish red eye from your portraits once and for all!

Angle your subject away from the flash

Portrait from 3/4 angle showing no red-eye effect — Ask your subject to turn their head slightly to angle their eyes away from the pop of flash and mitigate the red-eye effect (Image credit: Wendy Evans)

Consider using fill-flash, which uses less power because it’s there to fill out shadows, not provide the main illumination. Or, use one of the best reflectors off to one side to put more light back onto the subject. However, the easiest way to avoid the effect completely is to have the subject turn their head so the eyes are angled away from the camera and flash.

Use a red-eye reduction mode

Use red eye reduction options in the camera menu to reduce the effect — This Nikon camera has a dedicated red-eye reduction option in the camera menu to reduce the effect. Most cameras with a pop-up flash will have a similar option (Image credit: Future)

Most cameras with a pop-up flash will have a red-eye reduction mode as an option. Select this in your menu settings before shooting. It works by firing a series of mini-flashes at the subject, with the aim of using the bright light to cause the subject’s iris to contract, before firing the main flash and capturing the exposure.

Try Adobe Photoshop's Red Eye Tool

Photoshop screenshot of Red Eye Tool removing red-eye effect — Adobe Photoshop's Red Eye tool is handy if your image has already made it into post-production (Image credit: Wendy Evans)

If you need to remove the red-eye effect after the fact, you can use Adobe Photoshop's handy Red Eye tool. You simply select the tool and draw a rectangle over each affected eye in turn and Photoshop will convincingly remove the red-eye effect for you. Simple as that!

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If you're out on the street and don't want to take a big camera with you, check out the best compact cameras. For the ultimate in rugged compacts that can stand up to rainy weather, have a look at the Ricoh WG-80.

Finally, if you're in the market for a new flashgun, and you're a Canon user, then what about the Speedlite EL-10?

Wendy was the Editor of Digital Photo User for nearly five years, charting the rise of digital cameras and photography from expensive fad to mass market technology. She is a member of the Royal Photographic Society (LRPS) and while originally a Canon film user in the '80s and '90s, went over to the dark side and Nikon with the digital revolution. A second stint in the photography market was at ePHOTOzine, the online photography magazine, and now she's back again as Technique Editor of Digital Camera magazine, the UK's best-selling photography title. She is the author of 13 photography/CGI/Photoshop books, across a range of genres.

With contributions from

Mike HarrisHow To Editor