Do you keep both eyes open?

drounding

drounding

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Duncan
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When you shooting action sports such as ice hockey and you're all set up looking at the goal with it full frame say, it's hard to keep aware of the action outside of the viewfinder.

What do you do, keep both eyes open to keep a wider vision?
 
drounding said:
What do you do, keep both eyes open to keep a wider vision?
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Yep. Same with cricket: point camera at batsman, but use peripheral vision to watch bowler so that you know when the ball is coming.

The technique can be useful in other situations too.

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This sequence was shot at 6 fps, and the barn swallow was in and out its nest in 1.2 seconds. I had to keep both eyes open to have even a chance of catching the bird as it approached.
 
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That's ok when say using right eye to viewfinder and left for peripheral but what when it needs to be other way round? Does everyone shoot right eye to viewfinder? Is it as simple as left eye to viewfinder?
 
I use my left eye for the viewfinder, and often keep my right eye open for peripheral vision - no problem at all.
 
If I need to keep tabs on what's going on outside the frame then then I'm right eye looking through the viewfinder and left eye taking in the wider picture.
 
I used to be able to do this with my old Canon T90 but just don't seem to be able to do it with my DSLR's, even with my 7D which has a considerably bigger viewfinder than my 40D I started with.

It's a very useful skill, even if just from a personal safety point of view.

David
 
I usually use my right eye for my motorsport photography and keep the left eye open, so I can keep an eye out for anything else that maybe about to happen and possibly make for a better shot. Sometimes by the end of the day, I have trouble focusing through the viewfinder with my right eye so will change to my left, feels strange at and awkward at first but after a few minutes I get used to it. Failing that I will resort to using the screen on the back.
 
Hi, I normally use my right eye for the view finder and keep my left eye open for peripheral vision.
 
Seems like i'm the only one that views with one eye!

If i want to see what's going on I'll just drop the camera a few inches and peer over the top. I find I can see much more of what's going on rather that just one side of the camera and half an eyeful of lens. Works for me.
 
I close both eyes :D


seriously, I only use one eye as the other one is terrible anyways :)
 
I can do it when the camera is held landscape, but when it's held portrait I just can't see through the finder properly.
 
I think a lot of peoples photography could improve if they closed BOTH eyes, even mine!
 
shoot through right eye with left shut, sometimes left opened as well like Stew says when need to see incoming action
 
Mainly shoot with right eye open, left closed. Like others I open left eye if panning or need to see what going on outside viewfinder at a glance.
 
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