The Eyes Have It.

Eyes. They give a glimpse into the inner workings of us all. Over the years, I have developed a fascination with how eyes tell stories all by themselves. Try watching "Braveheart" without the sound, and focus on the protagonist's eyes. You can't help but feel the emotion that William Wallace conveys. Two scenes in particular come to mind. The first is when Wallace realizes that his friend Robert the Bruce has joined forces with Longshanks. His eyes fill with tears; they go out of focus. His head cocks slightly to the side as the impact of the betrayal sinks in. You can feel the absolute despair at the realization that a person he thought he trusted has allied himself with Scotland's hated and ruthless enemy. The other scene is when William Wallace is being tortured. Again, words are not needed to share the experience of the horrific pain of evisceration. When Wallace sees his murdered wife in the throng, however, the pain in his eyes gives way to a sense of peace and calm. This ability to tell a story with just the eyes is one of the reasons that Mel Gibson is such a great actor. I have taken pictures since my high school days. (That is a long time) As I go through my pictures, I occasionally come across one or two that have just a hint of story in the eyes. That is part of what makes a good picture for me. The eyes have to convey something beyond the mere capture of an image. So far, the captures seem to be more luck than anything else. I want to work on this, though, as I am convinced that the best pictures are the ones where the eyes grab you and pull you into the picture. Think of the famous National Geographic photo many years back of the young woman with the piercing eyes. Such a great picture! Maybe some day.