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Redeye Removal IV

Redeye Removal

The second, faster but not as nice method for redeye correction is as follows.
     As with the first method, zoom in close to the redeye discoloration and drag a selection around the problem spot with the elliptical marquee tool.
     Make a new layer by clicking the New Layer button at the bottom of the Layers palette.
new layer icon
     Use the eyedropper tool to click on a part of the pupil that looks normal. If you can’t find any part of the pupil that is not discolored, you can sometimes find a very dark shadowed areas under the eyelids that will do.
eyedropper icon
It’s usually better so use a sampled color instead of pure black. Even though a pupil looks black, it often has a bit of coloring that needs to be there to match the original image. The eyedropper samples the color that you click on and makes it your foreground color.
     With the new, empty layer that you just made selected (showing dark blue) in the Layers palette, use the paintbrush to paint over the redeye with the color that you just sampled with the eyedropper.
     Your elliptical marquee selection outline should still be active to restrict your painting to the desired area.
     Don’t worry if your selection is not exact. Since you’re on a new, separate layer, you can use the eraser tool to remove any paint that goes beyond where you want it to without erasing any of your original image.
eraser icon
     If you need to erase, try using a low opacity with Mode set to either paintbrush (soft) or airbrush (very soft) on the eraser tool’s options bar.
     In any event, when you’ve gotten the redeye painted over, I’d recommend using a soft, low opacity eraser around the edges of your painted spot to merge your added coloring smoothly into the existing eye color.
     Here is what your Layers palette should look like when using this method.
Layers palette with paint method
You can do the other eye on the same layer as the first one.

There are several other methods that I can think of for getting rid of redeye, but I believe these two offer the best control with the least damage to the original image.

[NOTE: I forgot to mention that, when removing redeye, you want to leave your catchlight (white specular highlight) on the pupil if it’s there in your original image.
     If you use the first method, use the mask (paint with black) to leave the catchlight white while darkening the red discoloration. If you use the second method, just be careful not to paint over the catchlight.]

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