Second from the left (or is it second from the right?)

This has got to be a first on the SDMB- a poll that is 100% one choice (so far).

Nope.

Curious then to hear what their explanation would be if some people in a photo like that are standing perfectly sideways (shoulder facing camera) Does it change once they reach a certain angle of sideways standing? What angle would that be? What if some are standing on their head? What if they’re all lying down head to toe in a line?
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You just won a kewpie doll, which one do you want? Second from the left, please. I don’t expect the carny to say “My left, your left, or the kewpie doll’s left?”

Wasn’t there a big thread here arguing about this here a while back, or did I read it somewhere else? Wherever it was, someone was very insistant that you went from the object’s POV.

“Stage right” is good if you’re rehearsing a play, or doing some similar thing. Otherwise there’s no need for it and no sense in using it.

If you throw out cultural conventions, it can get ridiculous rather fast.

  • If one of them has a wristwatch, do its hands turn clockwise?
  • Hmm, that depends. The watch obviously sees it as counterclockwise. From the camera’s point of view, it would depend on whether the watch is facing the camera or away from it I guess.

FWIW If you were positioning people in the photo to pose them you might then say right or left from their perspective but anything else would just be confusing.