Think about what you do when you take a photo. Do you press one eye to the viewfinder and shut the other eye? While that seems to be the natural thing for most of us to do, it turns out that keeping the other eye open may yield some interesting benefits.
I think it's natural to close one's other eye when a camera is brought to one's face; after all, it's a hulking chunk of metal, and we're generally hardwired to close our eyes when things get uncomfortably close to them. Plus, we feel like we're somehow focusing on what's in the viewfinder more by doing so. Nonetheless, as this helpful video from David Bergman shows, there's something to be said for keeping one's non-viewfinder eye open. I started doing this a few years ago and have found it has vastly improved my ability to anticipate action outside the frame, increasing the amount of time I have to react and making it easier to get the shot I want. As an added bonus, I've found that it's easier to maintain my balance when rotating my body to pan with a subject or some similar motion. Give it a try!
As someone who's shot with one eye closed for almost 45 years, this would not work well. However I can see it working for someone just starting out and working a modus operandi of their gear.
Well ultimately it's an individual taste. It certainly doesn't work for me.
I actually shoot with both eyes closed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Ru8DMW-grY
We're not impressed...
I found out that opennng the other eye allows me to be better aware of the scene, however I do frame better when I close one. So... like many other things, it's not a black or white rule, I do both ;)
I usually keep the other eye open when taking portraits off-tripod (although I most often use a tripod). I try do maintain as much direct contact with my subjects as possible. In fact, most of my "looking" is with that eye--the eye in the camera is just maintaining framing.
It makes sense looking through the viewfinder with your left eye to open your right eye :-) !?
Yeah, I'm a left eye shooter. As such, this doesn't work so well for me.
Think about it...
Works fine for me!
You must be right eye dominant then. Lucky!
However, if you're shooting left eye dominant, your right eye is open to see what exactly? A closeup of the back of your camera? Your thumb? Not sure how that works. Kindly elaborate.
Is this how you all look?