Many people have wondered why images of relatives and other people are considered or rejected as snapshots even when they have worked to make sure none of the obvious pointers are there. Like the ones of the sofa with the afghan over it and the doorway in the background. Therefore, the following is an explanation of why what they see is not necessarily what the objective viewer sees.
People shots are tricky for a simple reason - most people are fooled by what they see on the faces of people they know. If you know and have a direct connection to the person you are photographing, you know what certain looks and expressions mean - that in the assembly of that particular face, the slight quirking of lips is an impish "I've got a secret". This happens even more clearly when the person is looking straight into the camera because they're establishing a direct connection with the photographer. What you as a photographer need to establish is a connection with a wider audience - a look or emotion displayed that is clear to anyone.
If you look through the People gallery, you'll see that rarely is the person looking @ the camera - usually they're looking either off in the distance or @ least 3 paces to the right of the camera. By doing this, you break the connection of the eyes which establish nothing for the average viewer, and allow the face as a whole to be seen better. At that point the face has to have some emotion that is visible to people who don't know the subject - this is the point that will be hardest for you to identify - to take that step back and say "If I didn't know him, would I think that's a thoughtful look on his face?" or a smile of joy or any other expression. On the rare occasion that you do have the person looking at the camera, have them look from the corner of their eyes, or under their eyelids. These are much more likely to be successful at conveying a direct emotion/connection to the viewer without it being one only you as the photographer sees.
The exception to this is Portrait Photography - which should be in a structured staged setting with lighting that plays with the details and structure of a person's face. Details like hair should be smoothed out, don't have stray pieces stick up or out (works best if you smooth before shooting) - and in this the face should be expressive in some way that allows a direct connection with the viewer.
The eyes are all important in Portrait Photography - and the view has to look not @ the camera, but through it to connect with the viewer. philcUK found a great example for me here, and there's another one here. While both of these examples are b&w, color will work well too as long as it's properly lit. To a certain extent, you want to view your subject as a still life - what's important in a still life? Appeal/interest of subject. Composition and lighting. Every time. 8•)
People shots are tricky for a simple reason - most people are fooled by what they see on the faces of people they know. If you know and have a direct connection to the person you are photographing, you know what certain looks and expressions mean - that in the assembly of that particular face, the slight quirking of lips is an impish "I've got a secret". This happens even more clearly when the person is looking straight into the camera because they're establishing a direct connection with the photographer. What you as a photographer need to establish is a connection with a wider audience - a look or emotion displayed that is clear to anyone.
If you look through the People gallery, you'll see that rarely is the person looking @ the camera - usually they're looking either off in the distance or @ least 3 paces to the right of the camera. By doing this, you break the connection of the eyes which establish nothing for the average viewer, and allow the face as a whole to be seen better. At that point the face has to have some emotion that is visible to people who don't know the subject - this is the point that will be hardest for you to identify - to take that step back and say "If I didn't know him, would I think that's a thoughtful look on his face?" or a smile of joy or any other expression. On the rare occasion that you do have the person looking at the camera, have them look from the corner of their eyes, or under their eyelids. These are much more likely to be successful at conveying a direct emotion/connection to the viewer without it being one only you as the photographer sees.
The exception to this is Portrait Photography - which should be in a structured staged setting with lighting that plays with the details and structure of a person's face. Details like hair should be smoothed out, don't have stray pieces stick up or out (works best if you smooth before shooting) - and in this the face should be expressive in some way that allows a direct connection with the viewer.
The eyes are all important in Portrait Photography - and the view has to look not @ the camera, but through it to connect with the viewer. philcUK found a great example for me here, and there's another one here. While both of these examples are b&w, color will work well too as long as it's properly lit. To a certain extent, you want to view your subject as a still life - what's important in a still life? Appeal/interest of subject. Composition and lighting. Every time. 8•)