In addition, for a bipolar expression eye, just shooting the whole picture will be very nervous. The eyes expressed in this way are enough to support the whole picture and guide the viewer to imagine other parts of the face by himself.
Which eye do you pay attention to?
When you shoot a face from the front, the distance between the left eye and the right eye to the plane where the camera sensor is located is the same, so their clarity in the photo will be the same. But if you shoot the model obliquely from the front, you have to face a choice: which eye should you focus on, the left eye or the right eye?
Most photo viewers believe that the whole photo will be more familiar and harmonious if the eyes in the front position are clearly imaged. On the one hand, when we look at photos, we are used to the composition mode that is clear near and fuzzy in the distance; On the other hand, when dealing with people in real life, we will also focus on the eye closer to us. Therefore, for almost all people like photos, the eyes in front should be highlighted.
If you deliberately focus on the further back, this imaging effect, which is contrary to the usual way of looking at things, will make the photo viewers feel confused and at a loss. Their eyes wander between the left and right eyes of the model in the photo, and they will spend more time looking at this photo than usual. Although in this way, the audience pays more attention to this kind of photo, but subconsciously they also have negative feelings about it. Because such a composition form is usually considered to be wrong or defective, at least it will make people feel uncomfortable and unaccustomed.
By the way, this distribution principle of left and right eye clarity applies to all aperture values. Even in the case of large aperture value (large depth of field), focused eyes can get more attention. Under the condition of small aperture value and small depth of field, this effect will be many times stronger.
Precise focusing
Unfortunately, it is not easy to focus on the eyes accurately. The strength of the camera autofocus function determines the difficulty and effect of completing this task. Especially in the case of weak natural light or dim modeling light in the workshop, it is difficult for the ordinary automatic focus measurement function of the camera to achieve better shooting results. In addition, not all cameras have a powerful cross focus sensor.
Although the autofocus point (or focus area) located in the center has the most powerful focusing function, it can hardly be used to focus the eyes, or it can only be used under very specific conditions. When you put the central autofocus point on the eye, although the camera can measure its distance to this point on the subject, the eye is in the center of the imaging area. For the sake of composition, you usually adjust the viewing area in this case, and the camera will tilt slightly unconsciously during this process. Because the focal length of the camera has been fixed and stored in this case, the focal plane (parallel to the camera sensor) originally at the eye position will move back slightly. If your subject is far away, this slight tilt and movement will not have much influence on the imaging effect. However, if you take a close-up shot such as a face close-up, the negative effects will be highlighted: the focus will suddenly shift to the temples or even the ears, the eyes that should be focused will appear blurred, and the whole photo will immediately appear problematic. Therefore, to avoid this situation in the process of photography, you can't tilt the camera up and down, you can only translate the camera up and down parallel to the human face.
Instead, you can choose an off-center autofocus point and aim it at your eyes to ensure that this part of the image is always clear. It may take some time to choose the corresponding focus for each shot, but if you pose for a portrait and want to take similar photos one after another, it is very worthwhile to invest this time. In addition, even if you want to put your eyes outside the autofocus point, you should try to choose the autofocus point closest to your eyes to minimize the focal plane deviation caused by camera tilt.
If your camera has the corresponding automatic control function, then you can also give it the task of focusing. For example, the special face tracking autofocus mode will be much more accurate than the generalized tracking autofocus mode.
Although it is more difficult and takes longer to use manual focusing in the process of shooting dynamic objects such as faces, it is not impossible. High-brightness viewfinder and high-speed lens can make accurate manual focusing easier. The digital viewfinder of some cameras also has a special function, which can focus the areas with obvious contrast in photos through color effects, thus highlighting the image elements that will be sharply imaged.
When using the same set of body and lens, if you always find that although you have consciously focused, the focus can never be accurately positioned on the model's eyes, then it may be the camera system. Focus position in front? Or? The focus position is back? problem This problem may occur in both manual focusing and autofocus. In this case, you need to adjust the camera yourself or entrust a professional manufacturer.
Should models look straight into the camera?
If the model looks directly at the camera during shooting, the model in the photo seems to look directly at the viewer when watching the photo. In this sense, your photos establish a close connection between the viewer and the model, which makes the former almost inevitable. Just like in real life, if we are directly stared at by someone, then we will subconsciously feel that he poses a potential threat to us, so we can concentrate on this person and be vigilant.
Just like in the real world, photo viewers will immediately feel that they are being paid attention to, thus being directly drawn into this caring relationship? Respond to the model's gaze, but he can't keep this eye contact for long. It's like a game in which children stare at each other, except that the model's eyes are always fixed on the photo, so the model must win this round of competition. So, if you ask the model to look directly at the lens (or see something that doesn't exist through the lens), then the photo effect will attract the viewer's great attention? But the stay won't be too long.
However, if your model doesn't look straight at the camera, but looks up, down or sideways, the situation has changed again. At this time, there is no direct and inevitable relationship between the model and the photo viewer in the photo; On the contrary, it will make viewers feel as if they are invited to quietly appreciate the model's face. He can avoid the eyes of the model, not be disturbed by it, take his time to carefully examine all the details of the photo, and deeply explore the model's expression. Being able to pay attention to a person's face for a long time can arouse people's curiosity about strangers. In a sense, this curiosity is hidden in the hearts of all social animals, which can almost be called voyeurism. Especially when the characters in the photo are very interesting and seem to be full of stories, his implicit eyes avoiding the camera will attract the audience to look at the photo for a long time and be willing to take a look again from time to time in the future.
Eyes are the guiding line.
As mentioned in the previous chapter, human beings are social creatures, and other individuals in the same kind can always arouse our interest. ? What is he interested in? What is he paying attention to? We are always curious about such questions. If you stand in the square and look at the sky with concentration and seriousness, it won't be long before a group of passers-by who stop to look at the sky gather around you.
This principle also applies to photographic creation. If the model looks away from the lens instead of looking directly at it, then when we look at this photo, we will always follow its line of sight involuntarily. From this point of view, we can say that the model in the photo created an (invisible) line with her eyes. It can be like a real line, with one end connected to the model's eyes and the other end tied to another element on the screen. It shows people what the model is looking at, which also gives the photo a certain expression. In addition, this line can quickly capture the attention of photo viewers and guide them to shift their attention from the model to other photo elements connected with it. If the viewer follows the line and doesn't see anything else in the photo, then the viewer will first look away from the model's eyes, walk along the virtual line formed by the model's line of sight, gradually slow down until it stops, and finally return to the starting point of this line to start a new round of excavation and thinking about more details. This means that the audience will stop and linger in the photo. Therefore, it is necessary to leave enough space in the direction of the model's line of sight in the photo.