a method of detecting red eye in a color digital image produced by a digital camera includes using the digital camera to capture two original color digital images of the same scene with the first color digital image being with flash and the second color digital image without flash and producing for each such digital images a plurality of pixels in the same primary - color space having red , green , and blue pixels ; and converting the primary - color space for the first and second digital images into the same chrominance channel , wherein the chrominance channel identifies a particular pair of colors and their relative intensity . the method further includes calculating the difference between the chrominance channel of the image captured without flash and the chrominance channel of the image captured with flash ; and responding to such differences to locate the position of red eyes within the first color digital image .