Cat eyes in photos

**skpaw** · 01-31-2003, 11:55 AM

I have a digital camera and I want to take some photos of the neighbor's cat for her computer. My problem is it is usually evening when I see Kacey the calico and flash photos make her whole eye glow. We want nice pics with no strange eye, any advice?

**Tubby & Peanut's Mom** · 01-31-2003, 01:13 PM

I know exactly what you mean, and those eyes do tend to distract from the rest of the photo, don't they.

My suggestion would be to either turn on as many lights as possible, wait until the weekend and try during the day, or you could try and play "professional photographer" and get some kind of bright light to carry around with you and set up the lighting like the pros do.

I'm thinking something like a trouble light that the guys use to work on cars might work.

Then just be sure to turn the flash off on your camera and you shouldn't have any problems. If the pictures still turn out a little dark, you should be able to lighten them up on your computer.

Good luck and we hope to see some of the results!!

**boscibo** · 01-31-2003, 01:34 PM

With a digital, I would just take a ton of pictures - there will probably be some at least that don't have red-eye. It depends on the angle you shoot at, a direct shot will probably show the glare, but if the cat turns its head, there won't be so much for the flash to reflect from.

I use software (PhotoShop or Paint Shop Pro) to remove the red-eye from my cats' photos if the picture is good otherwise. That takes some practice to make it look realistic.

**sasvermont** · 01-31-2003, 01:37 PM

I just found out that my digital camera has a feature to help prevent the red eye look. There is a setting (within the flash settings) that has a brief flash before the second flash, preventing the red eye. It works too. It's a shame it took me almost a year to read the directions.

So do check out your directions!

**julijul** · 01-31-2003, 01:42 PM

I too, have a digital camera, and I find that the best pics are those that are taken in natural light. In fact, I haven't taken too many new pictures of my furbabies because when I'm home, it's dark and I really hate the "alien" eyes I get when I have to use the flash. Of course, the one drawback to not using the flash, is that both you and the subject have to be really still...otherwise all you get is a big blur. But still, the advantage with the digital is that you can take pictures over and over at no real cost!!

**Barbara** · 01-31-2003, 03:43 PM

With my very new digital camera I found that it is better to have more distance and then to zoom the picture closer. So there will not be that much of flashlight at the place of the object aka cat.
Like Sasvermont's camera mine has also something to prevent red light (usually a slightly earlier flash) but I haven't yet figured out how to use it.

**Edwina's Secretary** · 01-31-2003, 04:04 PM

So do check out your directions!

Doesn't that take the "challenge" out of it??????

(I think I will check. Had this on another camera and it was great!)

**Tubby & Peanut's Mom** · 01-31-2003, 04:22 PM

I've got that on my camera too. It worked great on my non-digital, but with the cats, their eyes even show up red when they're not supposed to. With people they turn out a little better than without that special flash thingy, but still not as good as if there is no flash at all. Hopefully all of yours will work better than mine does. I think this is a very good reason I should get a new digital.