Eyes are a window to the soul…a popular quote that holds a lot of truth in my opinion.  As a photographer, being able to capture the eyes of your subject in a pleasing or “telling” way is extremely satisfying.  As well, it can create a deep and lasting impression for anyone who views your images.

When I am photographing wildlife, from the large animals like bears and bison, to the small critters and birds, I work hard to capture the animals eyes in my images.  The way we humans process visual information about other creatures, we are programmed to read the eyes and when the eyes are not visible, some of our basic instincts aren’t met, which leads to an internal conflict which can result in an image not being viewed favorably.  Granted, sometimes it’s impossible to capture an animals eyes and in those cases, other behavioral cues might substitute, such as the animal mimicking a quasi-human behavior that we can relate to.

There are a few other tricks to remember as you photograph animals and their eyes…such as composing the shot so that the animal is looking in to the frame instead of out of it.  And, if you can get a glint of light reflecting in the light, we respond well to that.  That’s why studio photographers use catch lights to add a special sparkle to a models eyes.

Forgetting all of the technical details for a moment, I’ll say that any shot that “feels” like a connection to a wild animal will be rewarding.  Connection through eye contact or connection through a relatable expression or behavior, both bring a unique level of satisfaction.  Remember, we are programmed to seek out and read the eyes, which lends some credence to the saying that eyes are a window to the soul;  we can best judge someone/something by what we read in their eyes.

I collected a few of my favorite animal images where I captured the eyes in a way that I feel is connective and relatable and put them in a short video as a collection.  Please take a look below or view natively on YouTube

 

If you have any images that show how eyes are the window to the soul, I would love to see them.  Drop me an email or leave a comment below.