facing right vs facing left: At last month's camera club meeting we watched a video on basic composition. The "professional" who made the video stated that if the main object...

dragonswing Loc: Pa

At last month's camera club meeting we watched a video on basic composition. The "professional" who made the video stated that if the main object (particularly dealing with portraits) faced left, it made the photo have too much tension and thus make people uneasy. Therefore, the subject should always face toward the right.
I think that way of thinking is a bunch of bull. I see no difference. Nothing about the example photos made me tense at all. What is your opinion?

amehta Loc: Boston

dragonswing wrote:

At last month's camera club meeting we watched a video on basic composition. The "professional" who made the video stated that if the main object (particularly dealing with portraits) faced left, it made the photo have too much tension and thus make people uneasy. Therefore, the subject should always face toward the right.
I think that way of thinking is a bunch of bull. I see no difference. Nothing about the example photos made me tense at all. What is your opinion?

That came up here a few months ago as well. I wasn't sold on it either.

boberic Loc: Quiet Corner, Connecticut. Ex long Islander

dragonswing wrote:

At last month's camera club meeting we watched a video on basic composition. The "professional" who made the video stated that if the main object (particularly dealing with portraits) faced left, it made the photo have too much tension and thus make people uneasy. Therefore, the subject should always face toward the right.
I think that way of thinking is a bunch of bull. I see no difference. Nothing about the example photos made me tense at all. What is your opinion?

Did this "pro" say that if he was along the third base line and he caught a left hand hitter hitting the walk-off home run the world series because the hitters face was facing left it would not be on the cover of sports illustrated? This "pro" is an amature.

crimesc324 Loc: West Palm Beach, Florida

dragonswing wrote:

At last month's camera club meeting we watched a video on basic composition. The "professional" who made the video stated that if the main object (particularly dealing with portraits) faced left, it made the photo have too much tension and thus make people uneasy. Therefore, the subject should always face toward the right.
I think that way of thinking is a bunch of bull. I see no difference. Nothing about the example photos made me tense at all. What is your opinion?

I don't either. Some people DO have a better side

MtnMan Loc: ID

dragonswing wrote:

At last month's camera club meeting we watched a video on basic composition. The "professional" who made the video stated that if the main object (particularly dealing with portraits) faced left, it made the photo have too much tension and thus make people uneasy. Therefore, the subject should always face toward the right.
I think that way of thinking is a bunch of bull. I see no difference. Nothing about the example photos made me tense at all. What is your opinion?

Interesting theory. It would be interesting to test it. Without an objective test it is one persons hypothesis. With the horizontal flip capability it seems easy enough to test. Expose random people to random mixes of the same photo and ask them to rate them, and then see if there is a bias in the results.

A similar idea I'd also like to see tested is that for groups that read left to right putting the main subject on the right and leading lines to it works better because the eye enters the image from the left and moves to the right. I have tried this idea by flipping quite a few images and am inclined to believe this one might work. Although a real test would have to include subjects from the right to left reading world and see if they would prefer the other orientation...or if all people prefer the left to right.

Photoman74 Loc: Conroe Tx

Which ever is the dominate hand for that person will be the most relaxing, if the person is uneasy, that is the fault of the photographer, talk 1st without the camera - then with - then in the studio - with you behind the camera, and finally with you behind the camera and the lights on for a dress rehearsal. " Checking poses, lighting - focus," joke tell them to stick out their tongue. It is natural human nature to want to look "Good" but a relaxed person will look natural and good. Your Job!

boberic Loc: Quiet Corner, Connecticut. Ex long Islander

dragonswing wrote:

At last month's camera club meeting we watched a video on basic composition. The "professional" who made the video stated that if the main object (particularly dealing with portraits) faced left, it made the photo have too much tension and thus make people uneasy. Therefore, the subject should always face toward the right.
I think that way of thinking is a bunch of bull. I see no difference. Nothing about the example photos made me tense at all. What is your opinion?

In going over this again, I can't believe that it would make any difference which way Heidi Klum faces

SENSORLOUPE

I think it has a lot do do with reading left to right

A picture of a person just flows from left to right, thus facing them looking to the right

just what I do!

And my horse is running to the left!!!!! HA!

oldtigger Loc: Roanoke Virginia-USA

dragonswing wrote:

At last month's camera club meeting we watched a video on basic composition. The "professional" who made the video stated that if the main object (particularly dealing with portraits) faced left, it made the photo have too much tension and thus make people uneasy. Therefore, the subject should always face toward the right.
I think that way of thinking is a bunch of bull. I see no difference. Nothing about the example photos made me tense at all. What is your opinion?

So you all would be happy flipping your avatar so it faces left?

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

dragonswing wrote:

At last month's camera club meeting we watched a video on basic composition. The "professional" who made the video stated that if the main object (particularly dealing with portraits) faced left, it made the photo have too much tension and thus make people uneasy. Therefore, the subject should always face toward the right.
I think that way of thinking is a bunch of bull. I see no difference. Nothing about the example photos made me tense at all. What is your opinion?

Do we know this person's political affiliations? Might that have some influence?

This seems related to some other recent discussions that have focused on composition and might be yet another factor to take into consideration.

When I have my bio pic placed on a web page or in a presentation I generally want it to face into the page rather than out of it. I have no problem with being flipped if it gets a better result, but then I live in San Francisco. What else can I say?

Some of us face both ways, but then you have to move really fast!

Racmanaz Loc: Sunny Tucson!

let me understand this correctly, did he mean the subjects left/right or the left/right of the Photographers view point?

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

MtnMan wrote:

.... Although a real test would have to include subjects from the right to left reading world and see if they would prefer the other orientation...or if all people prefer the left to right.

I learned "face the subject to the right" meaning into the frame many years ago, and it was mentioned in conjunction with what MtnMan says about western world reading left to right.

boberic Loc: Quiet Corner, Connecticut. Ex long Islander

dragonswing wrote:

At last month's camera club meeting we watched a video on basic composition. The "professional" who made the video stated that if the main object (particularly dealing with portraits) faced left, it made the photo have too much tension and thus make people uneasy. Therefore, the subject should always face toward the right.
I think that way of thinking is a bunch of bull. I see no difference. Nothing about the example photos made me tense at all. What is your opinion?

Just looked at a series of shots of the most popular swimsuit models of the day. Kate Upton looks good no matter which way she faces Oh It was purely research for this topic. I got no pleasure from looking at the pictures

PalePictures Loc: Traveling

Oops!
I need to move to China.
I feel the tension rising!

Racmanaz Loc: Sunny Tucson!

boberic wrote:

Just looked at a series of shots of the most popular swimsuit models of the day. Kate Upton looks good no matter which way she faces Oh It was purely research for this topic. I got no pleasure from looking at the pictures

Kate Upton would look better if she was facing my way :)