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Engaging portraits – it’s all in the hands

• It's all in the hands •

• It’s all in the hands •
The hands are very important for directing the eye around a portrait
Click image to view large
• Portrait 4 • Kayte Allen on Flickr External link - opens new tab/page

Make your portraits draw the eye…

Here is a quick tip with lots of examples. To make your portraits flow and to help direct the eye to the right places use the hands to help direct the viewers eye.

Up and down loses the eye

The typical beginners full length portrait shows the subject standing upright, arms limp and lifeless at their sides and a sort of half grimace on their faces. Coupled with a portrait-aspect crop this disaster is a straight-through for the eye.

Despite what charms lie below the face, we look there first. We seem to be programmed to do it. Then we follow the rest of the body down with our eyes. IF everything points downward our eyes continue to the feet and then we lose the eye out of the bottom of the frame.

The hands can use the power of lines to redirect the eye

The eye is trained to follow lines and edges – these are places where contrasts are the most obvious and there the eye can see the differences in light and pick out detail. This is the power of lines in Composition – they literally create tracks that the eye follows.

The power of the lines in upright, long portraits is to direct the eye downward and out of the picture. That will always happen unless some form of stopper can be used to direct the eye to where the main interest lies. No better way to do that than with arms and hands. They can be used to stop the eye progressing downward by placing them across the body or they can be used to direct the eye back to the face by pointing upward. They can even be used to direct the eye around to follow the curves of the face and head as in the portrait above.

Some long shots

In the next few pictures you can see how the eye is directed out of the picture by the vertical lines, the portrait crop and the stance of the subject…

• The Photographer •

• The Photographer •

Mum - the loving supporter

Mum – the loving supporter

• Portrait by Virotutis on Flickr •

• Portrait by Virotutis on Flickr •
While this is an interesting picture and has a fun aspect to it, the whole image works to force the eye downward. It is a great picture, but the direction to the eye is almost undeniable.
Click image to view large
• Portrait by Virotutis on Flickr •External link - opens new tab/page

The hands can change everything…

Consider now the way the subtle lines and positions of the hands and the arms redirect the eye back to the face in these shots. These portraits have so much more to offer the eye because the hands bring us back – prevent us from going out of the image.

• Portrait with the hat •

• Portrait with the hat •
The hat acts to stop the eye getting lost upwards. The arm and hand
act to keep the eye returning from the lower end of the shot. The enigmatic smile
provides wonderful interest. A thoroughly engaging portrait.
Click image to view large
• Portrait with the hat • by DeusXFlorida on Flickr External link - opens new tab/page

• Portrait by GummyPiglet on Flickr •

• Portrait by GummyPiglet on Flickr •
The wonderful light, the great use of the arm and hand and the lovely expression create a circle for the eye. Out down the arm and back to the face. A great shot.
Click image to view large
• Portrait by GummyPiglet on Flickr •External link - opens new tab/page

• Portrait by Benjamin Ballande, on Flickr •

• Portrait by Benjamin Ballande, on Flickr •
The strong framing with the darker top and hood act to allow the eye to stray downward after the face. But the upward arm and the hand around the face creates an endless cycle of interest around this lovely portrait.
Click image to view large
• Portrait by Benjamin Ballande, on Flickr •External link - opens new tab/page

• Portrait by natali Antonovich on Flickr  •

• Portrait by natali Antonovich on Flickr •
The technique works on men too. The eye naturally comes down the shoulder, and is drawn back up the arm to the face again. An interesting character in this one.
Click image to view large
• Portrait by natali Antonovich on Flickr •External link - opens new tab/page

Portrait workshop, I by Vicco Gallo

• Portrait workshop, I by Vicco Gallo •
The sweep of the hair, the collar and hint of jewellery act to take the eye out of the picture. In the nice of time the thumb sweeps up the eye and the fingers divert us back to the face again. Engaging!
Portrait workshop, I by Vicco Gallo, on Flickr External link - opens new tab/page

The hands and the arms rule the lines

We have an almost pathological need to go to the face or hands with our eyes. The rest is almost incidental. Used properly you can cycle the viewers eye endlessly in the portrait. It is a great technique and one that really satisfies the eye.

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By Damon Guy (author and Photokonnexion editor)

Damon Guy - Netkonnexion

Damon Guy (Netkonnexion)

Damon is a writer-photog and editor of this site. He has run some major websites, a computing department and a digital image library. He started out as a trained teacher and now runs training for digital photographers.
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