Here Are The Top 50 Finalists For The “Eyes” Photography Contest 2019

Eyes are the only subject in photography that can be “just a detail” and still feel like a full biography.
A single glance can tell you confidence, mischief, exhaustion, curiosity, or that your cat is
silently judging the choices that led you to buy the off-brand treats.

That’s why the #Eyes2019 challenge from Agora Images attracted a flood of entriesand why the
top 50 finalists are so fun to study. You don’t just see technique. You see storytelling, timing,
patience, and the kind of focus that makes your camera’s autofocus system feel personally challenged.

What Was the “Eyes” Photography Contest 2019?

The “Eyes” Photography Contest 2019 (often referenced as the World’s Best Photos of #Eyes2019)
was a themed competition hosted through Agora Images, a photography community and app known for
running global hashtag contests. For #Eyes2019, photographers were asked to submit images where eyes play the
starring rolehuman eyes, animal eyes, insect eyes, reflected eyes, half-hidden eyes…the whole “windows to the soul”
neighborhood.

The numbers were big: coverage at the time reported more than 23,660 submissions, with the
top 50 selected as finalistsan achievement on its own in a contest that crowded. The contest
format also leaned on community engagement: people could vote in-app, and a guest judge helped determine the final
“hero” image. The prize discussed in coverage for this contest was $1,000.

Why “Eyes” Is a Sneakily Hard Theme

“Just photograph an eye” sounds easy until you try it. Then you realize eyes are basically tiny, glossy mirrors
with opinions. Here’s what makes the theme deceptively difficult:

• Focus has zero mercy. If the eyelashes are sharp but the iris isn’t, the viewer feels it instantly.
• Catchlights can make or break the shot. A small highlight can add life; the wrong reflection can
  distract (or expose your whole living room like it’s a real estate listing).
• Expression lives in micro-moments. The “good” look might last half a second, which is why timing
  and burst shooting often matter.
• Eyes demand respect in editing. Over-brightening whites or over-sharpening irises can turn a human
  into a CGI character from a budget sci-fi.

What the Top 50 Finalists Have in Common

The finalists weren’t just technically solid. They were intentional. Even when the framing was tight, the photos
still felt like they belonged to a larger story. Across the finalist set, several trends show up again and again:

1) Eyes as a Story Hook (Not Just a Feature)

Many portraits use eyes to carry emotionconfidence, fear, serenity, grit. The best images don’t ask you to admire
eye color; they ask you to feel something.

2) Wildlife Stares That Feel Like a Conversation

Animal finalists stand out because they often combine strong eye contact with texturefur, feathers, scalesand
a sense of personality. A gorilla’s gaze can feel human. An owl’s stare can feel like it’s reading your browser history.

3) Macro & “Weirdly Beautiful” Close-Ups

Insect eyes, frog eyes, and ultra-close details show up because they transform the ordinary into the alien.
Compound eyes and glossy surfaces reward good lighting and careful focus (and punish hand shake like it’s their hobby).

4) Strong Composition Through Crops, Frames, and Obstructions

Several finalists use windows, partial shadows, or tight crops to create tension. When you can’t see everything,
the eyes become even more powerfulbecause your brain is forced to fill in the rest.

Finalist Highlights (A Guided Tour Through Memorable Eyes)

The full finalist set is a wide mix of portraits, wildlife, and macro. Below are standout examples from the finalist
galleryeach one demonstrating a different “eye strategy” you can learn from.

• “Those Eyes” (by @ericpatriciogomez) A portrait where wide-open eyes carry the
  entire mood. The lesson: clean focus and confident framing beat gimmicks every time.
• “Look At Me” (by @dikyedarling) A gecko close-up that proves animal eyes can be
  more expressive than most people before coffee.
• “Interruptions” (by @dolapobolu) A human portrait with a sense of narrative
  tension; the eyes feel like they’re mid-thought.
• “Little Girl With Blue Eyes” (by @nguyenvuphuoc) A reminder that emotion is
  often simplest: light, gaze, and authentic presence.
• “Riki” (by @evgen_999) A dog portrait where the eyes do what dogs do best:
  make you forgive everything instantly.
• “Boy On Train” (by @hwilson8) Tired eyes after a day in Chicago. The lesson:
  documentary-style eyes hit hardest when you don’t over-direct.
• “Wild Silverback Gorilla” (by @joeshelly) A soulful animal gaze paired with
  natural texture and presence.
• “La Mirada” (by @gustavo_moroz) A portrait where expression is the message:
  eyes as hidden language.
• “Time To Play” (by @yawartcher) Confidence and energy after a dive; bright,
  direct eyes that feel alive.
• “Eyes” (by @birazhayalci) High-impact contrast (blue eyes, vivid hair). The
  takeaway: color contrast works best when it supports the story, not when it screams “Look, editing!”
• “Astonishing” (by @asimijaz) A moment of prayer captured through gaze. The
  lesson: eyes can show where someone is mentally, even if they’re still physically.
• “Forgive Me” (by @cymot) Golden-eyed baby monkey expression. The key: emotion +
  animal subject = instant connection.
• “A Jumping Spider’s Eyes” (by @ehtarmoo) Macro detail that turns tiny eyes into
  a full world. The lesson: macro is about patience and precision, not luck.
• “A Través De La Ventana” (by @dpabgon) Unease and curiosity, framed through a
  window. The takeaway: partial obstruction can increase drama.
• “Intense” (by @saavedraphotography) A great gray owl with a penetrating gaze.
  The lesson: wildlife eye contact can feel like a conversation if you nail timing and light.
• “A Little World” (by @mdabirhasan) A frog in marsh water, eyes alert and curious.
  The takeaway: environment matters; eyes + habitat creates context.
• “Casualidad” (by @patribar401) A “caught by chance” moment after multiple
  attempts. The lesson: persistence is a skill, not a personality trait.
• “The Fly’s Eyes” (by @fredyngahu) A reminder that overlooked subjects can be
  stunning when you get close enough (and steady enough).

How to Photograph Eyes Like a Finalist

You don’t need exotic locations to improve your “eyes” photography. You need control of focus, light, and comfort.
Here are practical techniques you can apply immediately.

Get the Focus Right (Because Everything Else Depends on It)

• Use single-point AF and place it on the nearer eye (for portraits). If the subject turns slightly,
  re-acquire focusdon’t hope.
• Watch your aperture. A wide aperture (like f/1.8) can look beautiful, but it also shrinks your
  depth of field so much that only one eyelash survives. If both eyes matter, stop down a little.
• Stabilize. Raise shutter speed to reduce blur, especially for kids, pets, and basically every
  living creature who refuses to sit like a statue.

Chase Catchlights (The “Life Spark” in the Eye)

Catchlights are the small reflections of your light source in the eye. They’re subtle, but they’re powerful.
A clean window catchlight can make eyes look vibrant and dimensional. If you’re using indoor light, try:

• Window light at a 45-degree angle to the subject
• A softbox or diffused lamp to avoid harsh reflections
• Turning off messy overhead lights that create weird hotspots

Make Your Subject Comfortable (Eyes Show Stress Fast)

Eyes reveal tension immediately. If someone is uncomfortable, you’ll see iteven if they’re smiling. For people,
talk them through what you’re doing, keep sessions short, and give breaks. For animals, prioritize safety and
distance. A long lens and patience beat crowding the subject every time.

Macro Eye Shots: Go Slow, Go Steady

For insects and tiny animals, macro work often benefits from extra stability:

• Use a tripod or brace your hands against something solid.
• Manual focus can be more reliable at extreme close distances.
• Consider focus stacking (multiple frames blended) if you want more detail in a compound eye.

Edit With Restraint (Avoid the “Neon Iris” Trap)

Great eye edits are usually invisible. Try gentle steps:

• Lift exposure slightly around the iris (local adjustment), not the whole face
• Add a touch of clarity/texture, then back off before it looks crunchy
• Reduce redness carefully; don’t bleach the whites into a blank void
• Keep reflections naturalremove distractions, not reality

of Real-World Experience: What You Learn After Living in a Gallery of Eyes

Spend enough time studying a finalist gallery like #Eyes2019 and you start noticing something funny: your standards
quietly change. At first, you’re impressed by coloricy blue irises, golden animal eyes, glossy reflections. Then,
a few minutes in, you realize color is just the opening act. The main event is intent. You begin to ask,
“Why does this look feel so strong?” and the answer is almost never “because the eye color is cool.” It’s because
the photographer made a dozen small choices that add up to one big feeling.

In practice, that’s the first “experience lesson” you can apply to your own photos: before you even lift the camera,
decide what the eyes should communicate. Is it calm? Defiance? Curiosity? Exhaustion? Mischief? Once you pick the
emotion, the rest gets easier. Your lighting choice becomes obvious (soft window light for calm, dramatic side light
for intensity). Your framing becomes clearer (tight crop for intimacy, wider context for documentary honesty).
Even your timing changesbecause you stop chasing “a pretty eye” and start waiting for “the right moment.”

The second lesson is humbling: eyes will expose your technical shortcuts. If your shutter speed is too low, the iris
turns mushy. If your focus point slips to eyelashes, the viewer feels like something is “off” even if they can’t
explain why. If you sharpen too aggressively, you get that uncomfortable hyper-real look, like your subject is about
to ask you to solve a riddle before crossing the bridge. So you learn to slow down: stabilize, refocus, and shoot
a few extra frames because blinking is a full-time job.

The third lesson is about comfort. Whether it’s a kid, a stranger, or your extremely skeptical dog, the eyes tell the
truth about how your subject feels. If you rush, they look guarded. If you hover too close, they look tense. If you
take a breath, back up, and let the moment happen, the eyes softenand suddenly the photo feels like a person (or a
creature), not a “subject.” That’s why so many strong finalist images feel respectful: the viewer senses patience.

Finally, studying eye photography changes how you see light in everyday life. You start noticing catchlights in
grocery store windows, reflections in car mirrors, tiny glints from a phone screen. You might even catch yourself
repositioning a friend slightly at brunch“Just one second… turn toward the window… yes… perfect”and you’ll realize
you have become That Person. The good news? When you nail the focus, get a clean catchlight, and capture a real,
unforced expression, it’s wildly satisfying. The eyes do the rest of the storytelling for youno long caption needed.

Conclusion: Why the #Eyes2019 Finalists Still Matter

The top 50 finalists for the “Eyes” Photography Contest 2019 aren’t just a collection of striking close-ups. They’re
a masterclass in how to use focus, light, timing, and restraint to make a viewer feel something. Whether
you’re photographing people on a train, a gorilla in the wild, a tiny frog in marsh water, or the mesmerizing pattern
of a fly’s eyes, the theme stays the same: treat the eyes as the story, not the decoration.