Should a right-handed, left-eye-dominant photographer change how they hold the camera for vertical shots?
Asked 5/26/2017
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I’m right-handed but left-eye dominant, so I naturally use the viewfinder with my left eye. When I shoot verticals, I usually rotate the camera with my right hand on top because it feels more comfortable. The downside is that the camera blocks most of my right eye, so keeping both eyes open doesn’t help me see much outside the frame.
Is using my left eye with the right hand on top considered bad practice? Would it be better to rotate the camera the other way so my right hand is down, even if that feels less comfortable? Should I try to switch to using my right eye in the viewfinder to better match typical camera ergonomics?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
9y ago
2 Answers
5
Do what is most comfortable to you. I am also right handed and for whatever reason got used to using my left eye to look thru the view finder.
Personally, I find having both eyes open quite distracting. I've tried it because it was recommended, but trying to track the scene with one eye while looking thru the view finder with the other just doesn't work for me. I even tried it with a zoom lens set so that the scene sizes match, and it still confused and distracted me.
Again, do what works for you. The important thing is to recognize when vertical framing is better. Whether you rotate the camera clockwise or counter-clockwise to achieve that is completely up to you.
Originally by user7603. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user7603
9y ago
0
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There’s no universal “bad practice” here—use the method that helps you get the shot consistently.
The main tradeoff is ergonomics versus awareness/stability:
- Left eye + right hand up: likely most natural for you, but it blocks your other eye more in vertical orientation.
- Left eye + right hand down: often more stable because you can tuck your right elbow into your body, and it may let your right eye see more of the surroundings.
- Right-eye viewing: can be learned with practice, but may always feel less natural if you’re strongly left-eye dominant.
Keeping both eyes open is helpful for some photographers, especially for tracking action, but others find it distracting. If it doesn’t work for you, that’s fine.
A practical approach: keep using your left eye, and experiment with right-hand-down verticals since they can improve stability and situational awareness. If it becomes comfortable with practice, it may be worth adopting. If not, stick with what feels natural. The important thing is the resulting photos, not following a fixed rule.
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