Eye connection

It’s really important to make eye contact with your audience.

One of the golden rules of public speaking, right?

Last week I was pondering this at an exhibition by the American photo journalist, Steve McCurry.

He’s the photographer who took the legendary photo of the Afghan Girl with her piercing green eyes, that appeared on the cover of National Geographic.

Studying his portraits, I was taken aback at the depth of expression in the eyes of his subjects.

It was mesmerising.

Often their faces are veiled, by coal dust or Holi powder or the rain-spattered window of a car…

But their eyes arrest your attention. And speak volumes.

They invite you into their world, and to imagine what that world might look like.

Our world of online communications places barriers before our eyes. Between us, and our audience.

To make eye connection, yes, we have to look straight into the camera,

And yes, we need to look down too at the mosaic of faces to gauge the reaction of our audience.

But what are we losing in terms of human connection through the disconnect of the screen?

And how can we make up for it?

Photo by Nonsap Visuals on Unsplash