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Avoid direct eye contact
Although strong eye contact is often regarded as the key to a successful portrait, pictures where the subjects are looking out of the frame can convey a striking sense of thoughtfulness and intrigue. They leave the viewer guessing what the subject is looking at. We no longer have a relationship with the subject, who appears to be unaware of our presence. We become disengaged observers of the subject rather than being directly involved. The direction the subject looks in often suggests an emotion – looking down may imply sadness or despair, while peering up may suggest frustration or inspiration.
DICK
This portrait works well even though the subject is not looking at the camera and only one eye is visible in the frame. The position of the head, the hand and the direction that the subject is looking in suggest that he is perhaps anticipating an arrival. The lack of eye contact makes it feel that we are able to observe his unguarded behaviour unseen. By zooming in tight and using a very shallow focus, the eye takes prominence in the frame and is clearly the focal point of the image. The subject is illuminated by windowlight, with a white reflector adding highlights on the forehead and nose.
Canon EOS-1DS MkII, 28–70mm f/2.8 lens, 1/80 sec at f/3.5, ISO 320.