Fix closed eyes in a graduation photo

Blinked in your graduation photo? Open your eyes in the photo you already have, from the ceremony, the campus or the family shot. Only your eyes change.

Retouch in your browser Coming soon on theApp Store

Or retouch in your browser

Before: Eyes closed mid-smile on campus, then opened with Glowly. The building, the trees and the light are unchanged. — Eyes closed mid-smile on campus, then opened with Glowly. The building, the trees and the light are unchanged.

After: Eyes closed mid-smile on campus, then opened with Glowly. The building, the trees and the light are unchanged. — Eyes closed mid-smile on campus, then opened with Glowly. The building, the trees and the light are unchanged.

Graduation photos can't be retaken. The gown goes back, the family flies home, and the photo with everyone in it is the one where you blinked. You don't need a new photo. You need your eyes open in that one.

How to open your eyes in a graduation photo

Open the web editor in any phone or computer browser, or Glowly on iPhone, and choose the photo. There's nothing to install.
Auto runs first. It sees the closed eyes and opens them, along with anything else the photo needs.
To fine-tune, tap Eyes and turn the dial between As is and Open. Stop where it still looks like you.
Press and hold the photo to compare with the original, then save the full-size photo.

Glowly changes only your eyes and the skin right around them. The cap, the gown, the building behind you and everyone next to you stay exactly as they were.

If someone else took it

Ask for the burst or the Live Photo. Phones often keep a few frames. One may already have your eyes open, and that's free.
Ask the photographer. Professional photographers usually shoot several frames of each pose and can send another one.
Family photos. Glowly retouches one face per edit: yours. If several people blinked, a different frame is the better fix.

For every other way to do it, including by hand in Photoshop, see our guide on fixing closed eyes in a photo.

Tips for the next big day

Ask the person taking the photo to shoot three in a row, not one.
Look slightly above the lens until the count of three, then look into it.
Use a Live Photo on iPhone, so every shot keeps the moments before and after.

Can I fix closed eyes in a graduation photo for free?

Often, yes: a burst, a Live Photo or the photographer's other frames may have one with your eyes open. Retouching in Glowly is free to preview. In the web editor there's nothing to install and no account needed to try; 3 full-size saves cost $1.99. On iPhone your first 2 saves are free.

Will it be good enough to print?

Glowly saves the full-size photo. Only the eyes are redrawn, so the rest of the photo keeps its original sharpness.

Can I fix someone else's eyes?

No. Glowly is for photos of yourself only, and it retouches one face per edit.

What happens to my photo?

Your original is never changed. Originals and unsaved edits are deleted from our servers after 7 days. See the privacy policy.

How to fix closed eyes in a photoSomeone blinked in the one photo where everything else is right. Here are the ways to fix closed eyes on iPhone, from Live Photos to AI retouching, and what to avoid.
How to stop blinking in photosWhy you always seem to blink in photos, what photographers do about it, and how to fix a blink in a photo you already have.
How to pick a different frame from a Live Photo on iPhoneBlinked or looked away in a Live Photo? Choose a better frame as the key photo in a few taps, and know when that trick isn't enough.

Fix something else

Fix closed eyes in a photoBlinked in the one good photo? Open your eyes in the photo you already have. Only your eyes change; the light, the room and your expression stay as they were.
Fix closed eyes in a group photoBlinked in the group photo where everyone else looks great? Open your own eyes in that photo. Everyone else, and everything around you, stays exactly as it was.
Fix closed eyes in a photo on iPhoneThe iPhone Photos app can't open closed eyes, but there are three ways to fix a blink on iPhone, two of them free. Here's which to try first.
Fix a forced smile in a photoA stiff, held-too-long smile can make a good photo look awkward. Soften it into a natural one in the photo you already have, and keep everything else.
Fix half-closed eyes in a photoEyes caught halfway through a blink, or squinting in the sun? Open them a little in the photo you already have. Only your eyes change; the light, the place and your smile stay as they were.
Fix closed eyes in a wedding photoBlinked in a wedding photo? Ask the photographer for the next frame, or open your own eyes in the photo you have. Everyone else and the moment stay exactly as they were.
Add a smile to a photoLooked serious in a photo you otherwise love? Add a natural, closed or open smile to your own face, and leave the rest of the photo untouched.
Fix squinting in a photoSquinted in the sun in a photo you otherwise like? Open your eyes a little in the photo you already have. The sunlight, the place and your smile stay as they were.
Fix looking tired in a photoLook tired in a photo taken late or in dim light? Open heavy eyes a little and lift the light on your face, in the photo you already have.
Make your dating profile photo betterYour best dating photo is often one you already have, minus a blink or a stiff smile. Fix the moment, keep the person, and put your best real photo first.