38. WHERE DOES YOUR SUBJECT LOOK?
YOUR PORTRAIT SUBJECT’S eyes are important. Some might say they are the most important part of their body, and for good reason. Humans use information conveyed by others’ eyes to determine emotions and non-verbal cues. It’s little wonder we place strong consideration on how they appear in a portrait.
We’ve already discussed how important it is to focus on the eyes in a portrait, but I’ll re-emphasize it since the viewing eye typically lands on the part of any image that is in focus. Since we most often want to look at the eyes of the portrait subject, focusing there is crucial. It’s also relevant to consider the direction the eyes are pointed. In this realm, it’s common to see two types of portraits: a portrait in which the subject is looking at the camera (Figure 38.1), and one in which the subject is looking somewhere else—typically outside the frame (Figure 38.2). Although you might gravitate to one over the other, it certainly helps to know why eye direction might be worth considering for your next shoot.
38.1 Eyes toward the camera mean direct engagement with the portrait’s viewers.
ISO 400; 1/320 sec.; f/2.8; 160mm
38.2 Eyes directed away from the camera create another level of audience perception. I try my best to get a portrait of a subject looking away from the camera each time I shoot a session.
Eyes pointed at the camera are eyes looking at the image viewer. There’s no better way to establish a direct connection between subject and viewer than having them look at and engage the camera. Although both types of portraits make a statement, eyes looking at the camera are more accessible and can cement a more intense relationship between subject and viewer. Viewers enjoy the opportunity to explore the subject through their eyes. Social characteristics are suggested by the eyes; for example, a viewer might quickly determine the trustworthiness of a portrait subject based on their ability to see the subject’s eyes. There is also a level of social formality in having the subject look at the camera (Figure 38.3). From professional headshots to senior portraits, eyes pointed toward the camera suggest respect, trust, and openness. Depending on the style of the portrait, and how the subject is coached, though, eyes pointed toward the camera can suggest a variety of emotions.
On the other hand, having your subject look away from the camera complicates both the emotional characteristics of the portrait subject. A portrait in which the subject looks away from the camera is less formal. This is popular for lifestyle and family portraits because they offer a carefree, caught-in-the-moment appeal, even though many might not be so candid (Figure 38.4). Combined with smiles, distraction-free composition and great light, these types of portraits might come across as being more authentic and personality-filled than others.
38.3 When I photographed Renee Underwood, she was the vice president of marketing of a regional Mexican restaurant chain. Although I wanted the shoot to be relaxed, I wanted to maintain a level of formality by having her eyes engaging the camera most of the time.
ISO 400; 1/40 sec.; f/4.5; 140mm
38.4 In family portraits, having the subjects engage each other with their eyes is almost more effective than if they were looking at the camera. It also conveys a more relaxed, informal perspective of the portrait and the subjects, even if they were coached to look at each other.
ISO 200; 1/2500 sec.; f/2.8; 125mm
However, there can be an emotionally deeper characteristic suggested by subjects whose eyes do not face the camera, especially when they do not smile (Figure 38.5). You can use eyes pointed away to suggest the subject is deep in thought, lonely, full of wonder, or even troubled. Regardless of what you are trying to convey, these types of portraits also make the viewer think—mostly about the subject and their current emotional state. Unfortunately, these types of shots can also cause undue tension in the viewer, so it is best to consider the appropriateness of the subject looking away from the camera or out of the frame. A somber-looking middle-aged man looking out of the frame for an actor’s headshot might be useful in landing him a job in a television show or commercial, but the same look might not bode so well for him being photographed with his family.
Like so many things in photography, there is no hard and fast rule on where the subject should be looking within the frame. This is a choice based on portrait style and the subject’s story. However, there are a couple of portraiture concepts to keep in the back of your head that refer to the eyes. First, it’s a good idea to keep both eyes visible (Figure 38.6 and Figure 38.7). Unless you are intentionally creating a profile-only portrait, being able to see two eyes is comfortable for the viewer. This doesn’t necessarily mean that the viewer must be able to see both pupils; for example, in a portrait in which the subject is looking away from the camera, don’t make the subject turn her head so much that the camera-opposite side of her face disappears. This reduces the face’s dimension, but it also encourages disconnection between the subject and the viewer. Even just an eyebrow or eyelash provides the indication of an eye, the necessary dimension, and a higher level of engagement.
38.5 Often, a look away from the camera and out of the frame creates a pondering feeling for the image’s viewer. Abstractly, a portrait such as this one allows the viewer to question what the subject is thinking and/or feeling at that moment.
ISO 400; 1/160 sec.; f/2.8; 70mm
38.6 Allowing the viewer to see both of your subject’s eyes mitigates any visual tension in not being able to directly relate to said subject, a result of being conditioned in our lives to see most people by looking at their eyes.
ISO 200; 1/900 sec.; f/2; 90mm
38.7 Although not terribly disturbing to the viewer’s perception of the portrait, a face turned profile diminishes dimension and any sense of what the other side of his face looks like.
Second, if you do create a portrait in which the subject is not looking at the camera, make sure to lead the subject’s eye (Figure 38.8). This means considering having the subject look in a direction that complements the frame’s orientation and encourages the viewer to look at more throughout the frame. In a way, you could say it is better for a subject to look into the frame, not out of it. Compositionally, this provides the photographer more opportunity to use the open space between the subject’s face and the edge of the frame, and it avoids unnecessary visual tension.
It’s a good idea to give your subject something to look at. Whether the subject is looking at or away from the camera, it never hurts to guide their vision. It might sound funny, but some folks, while looking toward the camera, do not actually look into it. It’s easy to miss while you are shooting, but it can become glaringly obvious when the image is on your computer. When shooting portraits in which the subject is looking at me, I tend to say, “OK, just look right into the lens,” as if it were a normal part of the conversation that takes place during a shoot. This is especially important for children, but some adults have a hard time with it as well. This instruction keeps the subject from looking at the top of the camera, or even worse, the top of your head! When the portrait subject is not required to look at the camera, I direct them to concentrate on a particular object. I’ll suggest they look at something behind me on the ground to their left or right—usually a structure that doesn’t force them to turn their head too dramatically. This keeps them looking in a particular spot rather than gazing around in the sky with their eyes, creating that “off into the mystic” style portrait that has become cliché.
38.8 Although there is no written rule about it, it is thought best to have the subject look into the frame, as opposed to out of it, leading the viewer’s eye into the rest of the image. Since the subject was composed at camera left, I had her look slightly camera right to ensure her vision directed the viewer’s into the frame to camera right.
ISO 100; 1/100 sec.; f/2.8; 78mm