“I choose to see my subjects as people…not objects…” says photographer Joe Edelman in his latest video discussing why he shoots portraits with such heavy emphasis on the eyes. Indeed, many photographers state that they focus primarily on getting the eyes as they’re the metaphorical windows to the soul. But in addition to this, many people also tend to make eye contact immediately and the eyes are usually one of the first things that someone looks at in a portrait or headshot.
The video also shows loads and loads of Joe’s images where the eyes are more or less the center of his work as well and the story of how someone came into his studio and explained how they felt connection with the subjects that he shot because of working on getting the eyes right.
If we can give you a personal tip on this: use a flash and stop down the lens a bit to ensure that they’re sharply and accurately in focus. Using a flash adds specular highlights which make the eyes pop even more in an image and add extra sharpness that a lens and camera can’t otherwise deliver.
His video is after the jump.
Get rid of the ads!
Did you enjoy reading this article as much as we enjoyed writing it? There's a way to support us and our reporting, getting ad-free navigation and more as a bonus. Subscribe to us for less than a coffee per month —just $3.99— or take advantage of our yearly subscription with a hefty discount for only $25.- An ad-free experience
- A free mystery box for Lightroom or Capture One
- All the books in our store
- 20% discount on Capture One
- 30% discount on Imalume Photo Theft Protection
- 20% off Herbs and Kettle Tea Company.