I’m left-eye dominant. Is that bad?

You may not have noticed, but just like you are left-handed or right-handed, you are also left-eye dominant or right-eye dominant.

Most people are right-eye dominant. So they use that eye to look through the viewfinder:

Michael Willems using his camera

Meaning that the other eye looks at you directly – either that, or the photographer has to close that eye.

I, however, am left-eye-dominant:

Michael Willems using his camera

So you will never see my other eye.

This has two drawbacks: I look like I am hiding behind the camera, andthe LCD gets greasy from being in constant close contact with my node.

But at least I do not get confused by seeing two different views, and I do not have to squint with my other eye – the camera naturally blocks it. So I think left-eye dominance is good. Just saying.

(I am also left-ear dominant. You will never see my iPhone on my right ear. Always left.)

So now you have learned another little thing about photography – and quite possibly, about yourself. You are welcome.

(And do you see how I am holding the camera? That is how you hold a camera).

 

 

 

 

5 thoughts on “I’m left-eye dominant. Is that bad?

  1. Hi Michael,

    Interesting post. I, too, am left hand/eye/ear dominant and I think this also affects my preference for holding the camera the ‘wrong’ way vertically – with the shutter release at the bottom.

  2. Count me in as another left-eye cominant person. I’m right-handed, but left-eyed. I’m not sure I have an ear preference, although I’ll be thinking of it every time I pick up the phone today. Thanks. heh

    I also always squint my other eye. I’m also sitting here now trying to squint my left eye closed so I can see only through my right eye and it doesn’t work at all. (I also instinctively tilt my head away and to the right when trying to close just my left eye. Odd.) No diopter could fix how bad that looks to me, even though my eye vision is equal in both eyes.

    The other benefit of being left-eye dominant: If you have a face made for radio, then your subject won’t be horrified by it!

  3. Incredible, the entire time I’ve shot photographs and filmed video, I never even thought about the notion of using my right eye instead of my left.

    This greatly advances my understanding of why my friends looked at me as if I had lobsters crawling out of my ears when I was complaining about nose grease on my display.

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