Your Subject. Where is it going? Where is it looking?

OBServe where the eyes are looking and show it

Hello folks. When actually observing a photograph to learn from what the creator has seen, see beyond the subject. Where is the subject going? What is the subject looking at?

In a perfect world, all photographic stories would be completely evident and while simple for the lazy to understand, such photographic stories turn into “see Dick run, see Jane run” pretty darn quick and can get boring unless extremely well done.

Let’s start with the question of where the subject is going.

A subject in motion needs a place to move into. Thus you as the photographer must leave plenty of space for your moving subject to move into. If there is no space, the image creates the mental impact of a pending crash and that’s going to negatively impact all but the dullest viewer.

there is plenty of space for the rider to move into

If it’s possible show the target of the movement. Consider a water skier in motion, towards a ski jump. Show the target. The same example could be translated to a ski jumper and the ramp. Or the gates in a slalom race. Or the barrels in barrel racing. Or the soccer ball at the kid’s game. The concept here is of the subject and the object of the subject’s focus.

All the girls are focused on the ball

So let’s move onto focus. You want to show the subject’s eyes and be able to show where the subject is looking. The object of the focus may not be in the frame, in which case the gesture and the expression need to convey enough to the viewer that he or she can create a story in their mind. For example, a fencer in a lunge, doesn’t need to show the opponent because our mind will fill in that blank. The same would be true for the grandkid taking their first jump or dive off the high board.

the image tells the story of the gate but the skier’s eyes are looking downhill at the next gate

However, if the intent of the subject is not clear, or the eyes are leading out of frame, your image needs to create in the viewer’s mind a sense of what the subject is looking at. Sometimes you can record the target of their attention, which simplifies the viewing and can hone the story into one of concentration, or commitment. Consider a photo of a bride and groom. The most powerful of such photos is when they are looking into each other’s eyes. There is no guessing required on the part of the viewer.

no guessing of intent required

The concept of showing where your subject is looking, or moving into is a simple one, but getting the image requires planning on your part, including research, prepping yourself by being in the right place to make the image and timing to get the image that compellingly tells the story. By making this part of your learning and practice regimen, you will become a better observing photographer and will generate better images.

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