Christmas pet shots: Watch out for green eye

Wouldn’t it make a great Christmas card for next year: Bowser in front of the fireplace wearing a Santa Claus hat?

Most pet owners, be they kitty fanciers, canine lovers or both will have great opportunities for pet photos during the holidays.

You can set up the photo just where you want it. Declutter the area so the background isn’t confused. Catch your pooch in a calm mood. Ask someone else to hold a toy or a treat in order to get that special glint in your pet’s eyes.

But the glint you don’t want is the dreaded green eye.

The green eye is like red-eye in human photos. With humans, light strikes the retina’s blood vessels, reflecting red. But many animals have an eye membrane called tapetum lucidum that lets animals see better in the dark. When light strikes an animal’s eye, the membrane can reflect green, blue, white, or yellow, depending on the animal. Most dogs and cats reflect green or blue. Blue-eyed cats are the exception and they reflect red. Raccoon and deer eyes glow yellow.

You get green eyes when your pet’s pupils are dilated at night, or a built-in camera flash shines directly into the pet’s eye.

To avoid green eyes, distract the pet to look slightly away from the camera. You can also change your shooting angle to a slightly higher or lower position than the pet’s eyes. If you are using a traditional camera with a separate flash, tilt the flash to bounce light from the ceiling or wall.