BB4A

I didn’t realize that this was potentially an issue until I happened to see a fellow photog in a park the other day, trying to take some natural light portraits of her daughters. I was of course social distancing, but I was near enough (4-5 meters) to mentally compose the portrait. I suggested that she might want to consider moving a little to her right, to better capture the diffused light coming through the trees. She tried this and was surprised & grateful that the advice produced, in her words “the best portrait I’ve ever taken!”.

In chatting further about composition in natural light, it suddenly dawned on me that she must have been keeping her left eye closed while she looked through the viewfinder with the right; a simple test confirmed my hypothesis.

What followed could best be described as a “mentored” hour in natural light photography, and she learned how to shoot with both eyes open, to best capture what I like to call “the truth in the light”. The result? One delighted photographer & two happy models, with a quality body of work that they had produced together, helped by an exercise I had suggested.

For ALL of the genres I shoot, but particularly NLP, I don’t believe I could be as successful with only one eye; I always shoot with both eyes open. My eyesight has deteriorated over the years (I bless the standard-issue diopters in my Canon bodies, daily!). Fortunately, my left eye is still good enough to help me with natural light diffusion, absorption, and scatter checking, as I perform my “Natural Light Dance” (OK, I have no rhythm, so it’s more of a stagger & stoop), around my subject. For me, shooting with both eyes open has other advantages... principally NOT tripping over a tree root & damaging my expensive equipment.

Which brings me to my question. Is there anyone out there who shoots without both eyes open, in this or similar genres, and finds that an advantage? Am I missing out in some way, because I shoot both eyes open?

I’m always willing to learn, and as far as the both eyes open thing, I’m totally self-taught (I was a competition archer, and am VERY accurate with my Sig Sauer P226). Did I just mentor a fellow photographer to do the “wrong thing”, even though it definitely seemed to help her photography challenge of that day?

PS - I can supply examples of my NLP work (particularly longer lens portraiture), where I believe shooting with both eyes open helped me produce a “usable” image.

Alafoto Loc: Montgomery, AL

Food for thought! I've never thought of the 'both eyes open' procedure but will try it soon.

Dug E Pi

I have always shot both eyes open. Mostly as I learned doing candid event photography and have always used the other eye to watch for walking traffic coming into frame.

PhotogHobbyist Loc: Bradford, PA

I was instructed to shoot firearms with both eyes open but for some reason have difficulty doing so with my cameras.

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

There are times where I shott with both eyes open AND other times with my- off-camera eye is closed. it depends on what I am doing.

My theory is that the camera. unless you are shooting stereoscopically, has only one lens, in effect, one eye. Without binocular vision, the camera lacks depth perception and the rendition of dimensionality needs to be brought about by the photographer's technique in the use of light and shadow, background management, space, composition tonal contrast, the rendition of texture and more. We are trying the render a three-dimensional object or scene on a two-dimensional screen or sheet of paper or other material. By assessing the subject with one eye, you are seeing what the camera is going to see and thereby plan strategies to create the illusion of dimension.

I can't understand what shooting with both eyes open has to do with the assessment of natural light. I do, however fine your theory interesting and look forward to your images and more information regarding your approach.

BB4A

I think I need to clarify my technique; I may have introduced some confusion here, which was not my intention. I will confine my comments here to this specific genre, Natural Light Portraiture (NLP), as I tend to use slightly different techniques with different genres.

1. Assessment of natural light. I often use just one eye (invariably my left, which is my strongest eye without corrective lenses) to “see what the camera sees”. My reasoning is the same as yours, ultimately the standard DLSR camera can only execute a single lens capture of photons hitting its single sensor (Image stacking & HDR not used by me in this genre). Please note; I’m using one eye to select the basic frame in the location, with background, subject, & foreground roughly established, and an understanding of the available, natural light, with the presented diffusion, absorption, and scatter, to execute the shot I have initiated & planned.

2. Executing the shot. However, once I’ve selected the basic frame in the location, I bring the camera up to my right eye and compose and shoot with both eyes open. I’ve mentioned before that I’m (I think!) quite an “active photographer” in Natural Light genres, and particularly so in NLP. I’m never convinced that I’ve achieved the perfect NLP, without moving around to check, with the left eye, that I’m getting the best effects out of the natural light. I call this micro-location finding, which I can instantly confirm, with my right eye, looking through the viewfinder. I have found that, by concentrating on just the camera view, I tend to miss the subtle light diffusion, absorption, and scatter effects that I’m searching for within the location, during my constant movement around my model to establish the best micro-location. Doesn’t mean I’m right, it may even be just my hyperactive style, but I’m always searching for what I call “the truth in the light”; where the NLP model looks their best, with the most complementary lighting, light patterns, and light effects on model, foreground, and background (all bounced as photons from that micro-location, to my camera sensor). Or, maybe it’s just because I grew up in the UK, where the light changes constantly, and generally from bright sun to rain clouds, every time a camera makes an appearance?

3. Rapport with the Model. I’m regularly told that I’m “different than the other portrait photographers“ when I work with professional US Models. I’ve tried asking what the difference is and the answers all seem to be centered around I’m just much more enthusiastic & engaged in the shoot, than most of the rest. I believe a key part of this might be my both eyes open technique; it’s more engaging with the Model, particularly when transitioning through different poses, locations, and micro-locations. I started my NLP photography several years ago in Europe, where it’s not unusual to have both Clients and Models speaking a language unknown / barely understood by the photographer. In those situations, I believe that keeping good eye contact and “mirroring” pose and positioning to best establish the micro-location is almost essential to success.

4. Safety & Awareness. One of the advantages of my technique is I rarely fall over anything, while trying to capture a shot, and I’m also looking out for the Model’s safety, too. I’m not talking about the stupidity of shooting on train tracks here, just that I’ve been known, in outdoors locations, to spot that hornet nest... just before the Model reached up to the branch it’s hanging from... General awareness is enhanced too, particularly when shooting with groups and multiple models.

5. I hadn’t thought about this before (until the incident I described in my OP), but I wondered if others were the same as me, or if I was just “special” (like my parents said). So, I googled the subject, and here are a couple of articles. These experts probably explain it much better than I ever could.

https://digital-photography-school.com/both-eyes-open/

https://www.all-things-photography.com/both-eyes-open/

https://photo.stackexchange.com/questions/8780/how-can-one-learn-to-shoot-with-both-eyes-open-and-what-are-the-advantages

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

There are occasions where I shoot with both eyes open and other times when that would be impractical, impossible, or difficult.

As far as portraiture, indoors in a studio pr studio-like setting, or out of doors in an environmental setting, good rapport with the subject(s) is of the utmost importance, however, I can't necessarily relate this to whether we shoot with one or both eyes open. Of course, I am enthusiastic about my work and fully understand that my attitude will be reflected in my work via the subject's reaction to me and the resulting expression. I have also found that there is not one rule, approach, or "trick" in directing subjects and eliciting good expressions that work with everyone. Each subject has their own unique personality- some will respond to lots of enthusiasm while others may feel more comfortable with a more quiet, gentle and lowkey approach- some respond to humor, other to casual conversation, so I have to be sensitive the client's demeanor, poise, perhaps lack thereof, confidence, self-image and lots more, all this under the heading of people skills. Some folks like to talk about themselves or their job, their kids, current events- whatever. I can hold an intelligent conversation about some general subjects but if my subject is a rocket scientist, a nuclear physicist, or a brain surgeon and I might be at a loss, I just talk about PHOTOGRAPHY and clue them in on what I am doing in the session, etc. When folks are happy and relaxed, the sessions go well.

Back to "eyeballs" So- when I am doing my facial analysis and deciding on the lighting I am going to employ or FINDING the light out-of-doors, I have to assess everything from the camera position, more specifically, I need to see exactly what the LENS sees! Yet, I can not hide behind the camera and expect to converse and direct the subject effectively. I will check my lighting in the viewfinder but may talk the subject from near the lens, peer over the top of the camera, and check the viewfinder intermittently- this all happens very quickly, and here is where to shoot wit both eye open helps. If I want to establish eye contact between the viewers of the images and the subject in the picture, I can operate from behind the camera and have the subject connect with the lens. If I need them to gaze off camera- I need to prove them with a target or stand off-camera and converse and direct from there. I need to direct their position in relation to the camera/subject axis and the position and direction of their eyes.



When I shoot portraits, the camera fairly close to the subject(s), and the lens is medium telephoto focal length so the differential in scale and size of what I see in the viewfinder and what I see with other eyes are not too dissimilar. If I were using a wide-angle lens or a more extreme telephoto the differential will be disconcerting and strenuous to the eyes.

I also shoot weddings, events, industrial assignments, and have prior experience in photojournalism. In houses kids of worse very different techniques, my apply. I certainly situation shoot with one eye closed can indeed be dangerous. Try shooting on the infield of a rodeo event with a wide-angle lens- you will have a risk being trampled to death by a 1500 lb. pot roast! I can situation you have to learn to shoo with the camera over your head without accessing the viewfinder. You have to see the action approaching and anticipate the action and be ready to shoot in a split second. This is an entirely different complement of skill sets.

Lastly, each photographer has their own physical skills, different levels of hand/eye coordination, different kinds of vision issues and conditions, both attributes and deficiencies, and different levels of visual perception and each has to adapt their shooting methods to their individual needs and requirements.

Some of my clients are actors, models, and folks that can relate well to the camera. The majority of them, however, are just ordinary folks, families, kids, pets, business folks, professionals, butcher, bakeries, and candlestick makers that need encouragement, direction, and compassion. Expressions can be fleeting so the technique needs to be nimble, swift, and painless.

dat2ra Loc: Sacramento

Interesting conversation; I had no idea that keeping both eyes open could make one a more enthusiastic and engaged photographer. More prosaically, as a field geologist, when I examine rocks using my hand lens, I always keep both eyes open because it avoids the blurry vision that occurs from closing then opening one eye. I always shoot my camera the same way, for the same reason I suppose.

BB4A

I think we are in violent agreement that both eyes open can / may be useful in some situations! Ultimately, it seems there are several NLP photographers who use this technique, either regularly or occasionally, in their work. I’m pleased to learn that I’m not “strange” in that respect, and that I’m not necessarily making my workflow harder for myself... and most importantly, I didn’t give another photographer some really bad advice.

In summary, I’m not recommending Both Eyes Open as The Trick to NLP. I find it really useful for me, when photographer and model are working through poses at a location, as it helps me better tune to variations in the light characteristics (my micro-locations). I’m sure others will be just as effective or more effective, using one eye through the viewfinder to achieve a pleasing result.

BB4A

Me too, I really don’t know if that comment, from a couple of very experienced US Models, says anything about my (unusual/special/hyperactive?) style, or about the general run of photographers they work with... or about the Models attitude? I’m just taking everything I can as a compliment in these situations, and making sure I’m also giving back praise where praise is due. 😀

I understand & agree with your field geology comment. I think I just learnt to do most things involving accurate eye focus with both eyes open, because I quickly found that more than a few hours spent with one eye shut was a recipe for headaches. I then may have found a way, in photography, to help my craft, while reducing eye strain. Like I said, I still use the one eye shut, to “see what the camera sees”; but that’s only when selecting the general location and base framing for each Concept in NLP.