Which eye should be in focus in a backlit portrait?
Asked 10/2/2018
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In single-person portraits, people often say to focus on the eye closest to the camera. Does that still apply when the subject is backlit or side/backlit, so the nearer eye is more shaded while the farther eye is better lit? If the nearer eye has a catchlight but is still in shadow, should that affect which eye I focus on?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
7y ago
2 Answers
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I'm going to drop this in as a quick answer even though it's really just a list of additional questions...
- How shallow is your depth of field?
- How shadowed is the near eye, lightly shaded or almost blackout?
- How much attention do you want to draw to the near eye - is the far eye your real attention-grabber?
- Will a catchlight change the viewer's perception if it's sharp or soft?
- How much time do you have to do both & worry about it later?
I think what I'm trying to say is... it depends.
Originally by user57929. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user57929
7y ago
0
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There isn’t a strict rule. In portraits, the eye you focus on should usually be the one you want the viewer to notice most.
In a backlit setup, that choice depends on things like:
- how shallow your depth of field is
- how dark the nearer eye is
- whether the farther eye is the visual attention-grabber
- whether a catchlight makes the shaded eye feel important
If you’re unsure, try three versions: focus on the near eye, the far eye, and stop down enough to get both eyes acceptably sharp. Getting both eyes in focus is often a safe choice if the angle and aperture make that possible, though you may give up some background blur.
A catchlight can make the shaded eye feel more significant, but it doesn’t create a hard rule by itself. The best focus point is still the one that supports the image you want.
In short: the “near eye” guideline is only a guideline. In backlit portraits, choose focus based on the visual emphasis of the shot, and if possible compare multiple versions.
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