Looking at the Camera Poll

While I have no strong objection to breaking the 4th, I think, as a general rule, I'd prefer to see your characters interacting. Rules were made to be broken, too. Never say no to inspiration. That last part is why my vote went one place and my comment went somewhere else. :)

John Trauger

Breaking the fourth wall is okay as a joke. But don't have characters making faces at me.

Daryl Sawyer

If it's a single subject that could be looking at someone in the reader's direction, I think it can work well. A point-of-view shot, for lack of a better term. That said, if there's two or more subjects, then I would definitely prefer them to be looking at each other... although context is important there, too. I mean, the soccer team set you did worked with most of the characters looking at the 'camera' because, in context, it was easy to imagine it AS a team photo, with the crew ACTUALLY looking at a cameraperson.

McZed

I stand firmly in camp context, sometimes it works very well other times it falls flat on its face, I'd say it goes by a case by case calling

DendysCorner

This is where I stand. All depends on the context, pose, etc.

SoulReaverDan

Depends on context. If framed as a photo or someone looking at themselves in a mirror it works well, and it can provide some variety and viewer engagement. On the other hand, I find it's better as a rare variety rather than a regular feature.

Eris Perring

I think that among your readers you will find only a few have strong feelings on this, especially since most of your pinup type stuff falls out of cannon.

PhaineOfCatz

Very pose and situationally oriented. If it's a surprise transformation or the like, it doesn't fit very well. If it's something where multiple characters interact, their gazes should be drawn as a natural interaction. But if a character is posing in a sultry or seductive or authoritative (or... etc) manner, their focus should be on *somebody*. If there's no second 'somebody' in the shot, it should be at the reader, and thus the camera.

Ariamaki

It really depends on the pinup, but genuinely breaking the fourth wall is almost always bad. It's complicated. A pin up that looks like a photograph is okay for the character to look at the viewer. A photograph is okay because the character is looking at the photographer, not really breaking the 4th wall, and if there's two characters or more, they should be interacting with each other for the most dynamic and interesting picture. In the case of a single character, interacting with the photographer somehow. A lack of this interaction isn't always necessarily detractive, but it definitely makes for a simpler, less interesting pin up. I hope this makes sense.

I tend to really dislike when characters are looking at me, ESPECIALLY if they're supposed to be engaging with one another. If it's a photo, then that's typically OK, but I find photos to be less interesting in general too.

Matoyak

I think fourth wall breakage is fine and dandy if it's, say, an implied photo or something. Otherwise it depends.

I don't have a preference, or it depends on the pinup

Dan Shive

Don't break the fourth wall - I want the characters looking away from me, and possibly at each other

Dan Shive