Ungku Firdaus Photography: August 2012

Eye contact is a meeting of the eyes between two individuals - nonverbal communication...
Eye contact and facial expressions provide important social and emotional information... People, perhaps without consciously doing so, probe each other's eyes and faces for positive or negative mood signs... In some contexts, the meeting of eyes arouses strong emotions...

Without eye contact, the whole mood of the image changes - the camera is simply an 'observer' and it is a great opportunity to show a subject in a different way...

3 Types of Eye Contact in Photography:

1. Direct Eye Contact

With the subject looking directly into the lens of the camera, you create a connection between the person being photographed, and the person viewing the photo. This relationship is defined by the expression held – it could be seductive, angry, or even terrified. For this reason, the technique is fantastic for putting the viewer into someone else’s shoes. Take this image, for instance. It makes the viewer wonder what they could have done that the child is afraid of them, and evokes the feeling of wanting to say “don’t worry!”. With direct eye contact, it’s obvious that the subject knew they were being photographed and, as such, they are usually adopting some form of “pose” (either natural or formal).

2. Eye Contact Between Subjects

Unlike direct eye contact, having two different subjects looking at each other is a way to depict the relationship between them. The viewer becomes an observer, and is no longer “involved” in the photograph. This is commonly done to represent a loving relationship (see the two examples below, or almost any wedding shoot), but it could equally be chosen to represent hate, anger, or fear. If you’re wanting to capture some form of atmosphere in a scene, this can be a great way to do so. This visual connection needn't just be between two people. It could involve anything, from a child having fun with their dog, to someone thoughtfully arranging a bunch of flowers.

3. No Eye Contact

Finally, we come to the idea of a sole person looking away from the camera – any any other obvious subject. This very much puts the viewer in “observation mode”, and it can feel as though you’re gaining a glimpse into the thoughts and private moment of the person portrayed. Both of the examples below take on a thoughtful, pensive atmosphere. Because the subject is looking “past” the camera, it introduces an element of the unknown into the photo. There’s no way to pinpoint exactly what has captured the person’s attention. The one exception would be in a photograph such as this one, where you can see the full picture through a reflection in either the subject’s eyes, or a pair of glasses.

( ** Is it hard for you to look at the lens when you get your picture taken ? )