Dry eyes for photographers

Photographers’ eyes dry out because the job combines the things that cut blinking: staring through a viewfinder while waiting for the moment, squinting the other eye shut, and long editing sessions at a bright screen. Outdoor shoots add wind, cold or heat. Building blinks into your routine, protecting your eyes outdoors and using a lubricating drop as labeled, at a break rather than mid-shot, all help.

Why photography is hard on the eyes

Blinking spreads a fresh tear film across the eye. When you concentrate on something, you blink less often, and the blinks you do make tend to be partial. Photography stacks up several kinds of concentration in a row:

• Holding a viewfinder to your eye while you track a subject.
• Waiting for a decisive moment without looking away: a bird taking off, a runner crossing the line, a couple’s first kiss.
• Checking focus on the rear screen at full magnification.
• Culling hundreds or thousands of frames afterward.
• Retouching skin, color and detail with your face close to the monitor.

The viewfinder squint

Most shooters close or squint the non-shooting eye, and the shooting eye stays wide open against the eyepiece. Neither eye blinks normally. On a mirrorless camera, the electronic viewfinder is also a tiny bright screen held right against the eye.

• Lower the camera between bursts and blink fully a few times, both eyes.
• Practice shooting with both eyes open if you can; it lets the non-shooting eye blink normally and helps you see what’s coming into the frame.
• Use a soft eyecup, and keep it clean so you’re not pressing grit or makeup against your lashes.
• On a tripod, use the rear screen for stretches instead of the eyepiece.
• Set the electronic viewfinder brightness to match the scene rather than running it at full.

Long editing sessions

Many photographers spend more hours editing than shooting. Screens reduce blinking, and a dark editing room with one bright monitor makes your eyes work harder. A few habits for the desk:

• Every 20 minutes or so, look across the room for a few seconds and blink slowly.
• Set the monitor slightly below eye level, which keeps eyes a little less open.
• Keep some ambient light in the room so the screen isn’t the only light source.
• Point fans, space heaters and AC vents away from your face.
• Use keyboard shortcuts for culling so you can glance away between frames.

Eye drops for computer users and screens and your tear film go deeper on desk work.

Outdoor shoots: wind, cold and sun

Landscape, wildlife and sports photographers spend hours in exposed places. Wind speeds evaporation from the tear film; cold air often holds little moisture; sun and glare make you squint. Each one adds to the effect of the viewfinder.

• Wear wraparound sunglasses between shots, and keep them on a strap.
• Stand with your back to the wind while you wait.
• On a winter shoot, warm up in the car with the heater on the floor vents, not blowing at your face.
• On a beach or in the desert, a hood or brimmed hat cuts both glare and blowing sand.
• In the hot months, carry water; low humidity dries more than your eyes.

Dry eyes on a winter hike covers cold-weather walking to a location, and dry eyes for outdoor workers covers long days outside.

Events, studios and travel

Weddings and events mean 10 or 12 hours on your feet, often in air-conditioned venues, under stage lights or with flash firing all evening. Studio work can mean hot modeling lights. Travel shoots add airplane cabins and hotel rooms with dry air. Plan breaks into the timeline the way you plan battery swaps: a minute to look away, blink and rest your eyes.

When to use a drop on a shoot

Quell’s label lists its Uses as: For use as a protectant against further irritation or to relieve dryness of the eye. It’s designed to reinforce the tear film’s oil layer to help reduce moisture loss. The directions are Apply 1 drop 3 times per day in each eye, so plan the drops around the day: before you leave, at a midday break, and after editing.

• Use it at a break, not seconds before a shot. Vision can blur briefly after a drop until a few blinks spread it out.
• Wash your hands first, especially after changing lenses or handling sensor-cleaning gear.
• Don’t let the tip touch anything; the label says Do not touch tip of bottle to any surface to avoid contamination.
• Keep the bottle in a bag pocket rather than in a hot car or a frozen pack; the label says Store between 15° to 30°C (59° to 86°F).

The label doesn’t cover contact lenses or use alongside other eye drops. If either applies to you, ask your eye doctor or pharmacist before adding Quell.

When it’s more than dryness

If you notice changes in focus that aren’t from your camera, or eyes that stay sore after shoots, see an eye doctor. The label says when to stop: Stop use and ask a doctor if you feel eye pain or changes in your vision, if irritation or redness continues, or if the condition worsens or persists for 72 hours. The dry eye self-check can help you put symptoms into words before an appointment.