Remove red-eye

Taking a picture using a flash can result in red pupils in people’s eyes. You can use iPhoto to significantly reduce the appearance of red-eye or remove it completely.

Note:  Animal pupils tend to photograph as green or yellow, so the Red-Eye tool doesn’t work on them.

Reduce red-eye

  1. Select the photo and click the Edit button.

  2. If the Quick Fixes tab (at the top of the Edit pane) isn’t selected, click it.

  3. Click Fix Red-Eye.

    If iPhoto detects faces in the photo, it removes the red-eye for you. If the red-eye disappears, skip to step 6.

  4. If red-eye is still apparent, drag the Size slider until the circle is the same size as the red-eye area.

    You can fine-tune the size by pressing the Left Bracket ( [ ) and Right Bracket ( ] ) keys.

  5. Position the circle over the red-eye pupil, and then click. Repeat this step for all other red-eye pupils in the photo.

    Image of red-eye tool placed over a red pupil

    Tip:  At the smallest size, the circle changes to a crosshair. When you position the crosshair over a pupil, iPhoto detects the red area, so the red-eye should disappear with one click.

  6. Do one of the following:

    • To save your changes, click Done.

    • To leave red-eye view without saving your changes, press Escape (Esc).

    • To cancel all changes made during this edit session (in any of the Edit panes), click “Revert to Previous.”

      Note:   If you’ve made only one edit, the button is labeled “Revert to Original.”

See also
Save or undo changes you make to a photo
Compare two or more photos