When you look at any photograph of a person, the person in the image seems to look straight at you, from whatever angle you look into the image. :confused:

Is there an explanation for this.

Has it got something to do with where the person is looking at when the image is captured??!!

If the person is looking directly into the camera lens (through which the picture is taken), that phenomenon will rear its head.

ugh, i have 2 of those, of my great uncle and aunt, they are scary

Is there i technical term for this phenomenon?

What in case of portraits and paintings?

i think if you paint as if they are looking right at you then the effect would also occur.

not sure of a name, but it relies on the fact that in any 2d image, we always the the same side, from any angle, if it was 3d then they would look forward. it happens with TV, the guy sitting on the left of the couch sees no different to the guy on the right

Would you expect the person in the photo to turn their head to follow your movement?

;)

Like in Scooby Doo. when the persons eyes are looking through the painting.

.......or not

if the iris/pupil are in the center of the eye when painted/drawn/photographed, this will occur. don't remember what its called, but I found an interesting study on the phenomenon:
http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/eyefolow.htm