ASK JiMMY ThE BuG

If you look like a spooky, red-eyed alien in a family photo, it's probably because your mom, dad, or Uncle Norman snapped the picture in dim light using a flash. Your pupils-the black dots in the center of your eye-open wide in dim light to help you see better. In a split second, light from the flash zips through your pupils and hits a layer of red blood vessels at the back of your eyes. This layer, called the choriod, absorbs most of the light, but bounce some-the red light-back to the camera.

A two-flash system can reduce "red-eye." The first flash goes off just before the picture is taken. This bright light causes your pupils to get smaller. When the second flash goes off as the picture is taken, less light gets into your eyes, so less light bounces back. Because light travels in straight lines, using a flash that's separate from the camera can help, too. The light bounced off your eyeballs reflects back to the flash, not the camera.

If you don't want to look like a kid from outer space try gazing at the top of the photographer's head instead of staring directly into the camera's lens when you say "Cheese!"

Copyright Carus Publishing Company May/Jun 2004
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved