Their eyes say it all…
Eye contact is way more intimate than words will ever be – Faraaz Kazi
Eyes are a powerful tool in portraiture. A simple look can portray a wide range of emotions, and it’s arguably the essential component in the difference between an OK portrait of someone and a great one.
An outstanding example of this is Steve McCurry’s famous portrait of an Afghan Girl.
What’s the first thing you notice when you see that image? Sure, it might be her red cowl, but more than likely, it’s her piercing green eyes as they stare at you from the photo. Without her making eye contact with the photographer, it more than likely wouldn’t have made the cover of National Geographic and become what is considered to be one of the world’s most famous images.
So, that being said, the one thing you almost always want to focus on is your subjects eyes. It doesn’t matter how perfect your composition or exposure it if the eyes aren’t in sharp focus, the entire image can suffer for it.
Pro Tip: Some mirrorless cameras (Sony, Fuji) come with a setting that will detect a person’s eyes and auto focus on them specifically. Alternatively, you can use your camera’s AF point system to manually set the focus point on your subjects eyes.
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