Zombie dog eyes....what am I doing wrong?

[preVenger]

Of my four dogs...two of them throw green pupils at me and two of them throw reddish orange. Interestingly, they all have brown eyes : )

After this post, I think I'll go find the introduction forum.

About this photo. I am digging through my iPhoto looking for images that - 1) I want to keep for posterity 2) will help me practice my retouch skills. In no particular order.

Teena is always fearful of the camera. I cant get her to lose that "Oh My God" look. And she always has creepy pink/red/orange eyes. I am not finished with the photo I am posting for critique, but I need help on one of the elements.

The pupil. I made a black overlay and lightened it to 80% so that the shading tones of the original can help it look natural. But, it does not look 100% natural. Would I be better off recreating the pupil using varying shades of grey that match the varying shades of red? I didnt want to waste my time doing the other one when I wasnt happy with the first one.

Mouseover the image to see the original -

http://www.elleon.com/teena_retouch.htm

Thank you so much for your expert opinions!!

[palms1]

There is a action at action central called demon eye remover ( that is if you use photoshop)
it is towards the bottom of the download page

http://www.atncentral.com/

this maybe of some help to you, I havent personally used it but have heard others have with success, and of course you could always see how it was done from it

Palms

[CJ Swartz]

Teena is very pretty!

In addition to Palms' recommendation, there are two useful techniques listed in this thread:

http://www.retouchpro.com/forums/pho...2-red-eye.html

The red-eye or green/yellow eye is caused by the flash's light reflecting off the retina in a person's or animal's eye. Some cameras have a "red eye reduction" feature. In these cameras, the flash goes off twice -- once right before the picture is taken, and then again to actually take the picture. The first flash causes people's pupils to contract, reducing "red eye" significantly. Another trick is to turn on all the lights in the room, which also contracts the pupil.

You can also reduce or eliminate "red eye" in pictures by moving the flash away from the lens. On most small cameras, the flash is only an inch or two away from the lens, so the reflection comes right back into the lens. If you can detach the flash and hold it several feet away from the lens, that helps a lot. You can also try bouncing the flash off the ceiling if that is an option.


If your dog is an older dog, it's also possible to see Cloudy or "bluish" eyes - As they age, dog's eyes often show a bluish transparent "haze" in the pupil area. This is a normal effect of aging, and the medical term for this is lenticular sclerosis. Vision does not appear to be affected. This is NOT the same as cataracts. Cataracts are white and opaque. Vision can be affected by cataracts, and your vet needs to be consulted. (from http://vetmedicine.about.com/cs/dogg...gseniordog.htm )

[Janet Petty]

It is a simple matter to reduce red eye. But be aware the the global treatment by some programs produce just a black pupil. It is better to make a selection around the eye, then use Hue/Saturation to correct the problem. I also discovered the catch light when I corrected the eye and enhanced it on another layer.

Is this what you wanted?

Janet

[preVenger]

OMG...how satisfying Thank you all! I looked at the demon eye remover and it looks like it works great. I also looked at the past red-eye posts. And thanks to Janet for showing me the eyeball with some depth!

The learning process is amazing. At least I knew enough to know that my first eye wasnt quite 'right' (it was left...hehehe.)

The difference is quite striking between my old eye on the left (no depth) and the new eye on the right. I used the Photoshop Hue/Saturation method...and enhanced the catch lights. Now I just need to practice on the right amount to feather into the iris

Thanks again!

[palms1]

Happy we could all of been some help for you,

Palms

[crazyfly1]

Hey prevenger, Funny I've looked at your dog before (I'm not good with dog eyes sorry) but I just notice your tag. I move around a bit but I'm from here and the last 6 months finds me at 156 and maple. Small world.