I was recently in a fight with a local high school over the "acceptable" backgrounds for senior yearbook photos. The yearbook advisor was attempting to establish a standard for "plain, blank, neutral" backgrounds. She was rejecting every photo that was not a "passport" image.

To prep my case, I went to school libraries and reviewed a number of old yearbooks. The background issue aside, I noticed something else that made me curious. In very old yearbooks, all the portraits were made with the eyes "off camera", staring off into space. In newer yearbooks, all portraits were made with the eyes direct in-camera.

In my area (Midwestern US), the change appeared to occur sometime in the late 1970's. In my own yearbook of 1965, we are all staring off into space. In my wife's 1973 yearbook, there is a mix or about 25% in-camera eyes and 75% off-camera eyes. In my son's 1989 yearbook, it's 100% in-camera eyes.

So I'm curious about why this change in portrait style occured, and how it varies by location and time. Would appreciate hearing the insight and experience of others. What style is most common in Europe, South America, or Asia? Has it changed in other countries as it did in the US?

In my year eyes were in camera. I'm in Europe
I think eyes-off camera was "old fashioned style" (I don't mean it in negative way). Because I remember my great-grandmother and her friends etc. had all her "passport style" photos with eyes off-camera. It ads a bit artistic value to photo.

1964, a graduating class of 15 country bumpkins. Five are looking at the camera; the rest are bird-watching.

Graduated High School in 2008. Eyes toward camera.

That's a great observation. I am not sure why that shift happened, do you think that the new look is favorable compared to where we came from?

Opps... double post.