i'm not sure i agree.
in direct contact with people i appreciate eye contact, of course. but when it comes to photos i often find it more attractive if the eyes of the subject are not facing the camera directly.

I definitely think this is true. I tend to do this a lot when listening and I think the reason for me doing it is because I am interested in what the person has to say and I think people find that attractive.

I wonder if this is true across all cultures. Probably for western cultures.

But in some African countries it is not unusual or disrespectful for individuals to engage in eye to eye contact when conversing.

Interesting none-the-less

dang it..... not unusual or disrespectful for individuals NOT to engage in eye to eye

The eyes are the windows to the soul. Not looking people in the eyes can seem and often is evasive. The window is shut, when more is revealed by what is not being said.
Not being able to look someone in the eyes can give the impression someone has something to hide. When it is through lack of self confidence, this can be learned to be something that is not to be feared and can reflect trust. The problem can also be that people like lawyers ,salesmen, or politicians have learned this and eye contact is a programmed reaction, but wait until they get a question they're not ready for.
Looking someone in the eye can be an assurance that two people are involved in a conversation, on equal terms