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Re: red eye




What is the cause of the "red-eye" phenomenon in flash photography?

Replies which I've read in today's digest to this question seem to me to
omit one step in the process which I have always assumed was important: that
the light scattered from the point on the retina where the image of the
flash is focused should presumable be focused back into a parallel beam
directed back at the source by the lens and cornea of the eye. Hence the
reason why red eye is seen only when an on-camera flash is used.

The point about the different colour seen when we see an animal's eyes
looking back at us, illuminated by a continuous source rather than a flash,
is interesting. Does anyone know if, say, a cat shows red eye in a flash
photograph? I suppose it's less likely to be staring at the camera in the
first place...

Mark.

Mark Sylvester
UWCAd, Duino, Trieste, Italy.