1yr old stopped making eye contact when held (but makes it after small distance)

[saitnyc]

Maybe I am too paranoid, but started looking for developmental signs excessively.

When you call him, talk to him, he will maintain eye contact.

However, when you lift him and he is close to a face like 0.5 foot away he will look at lips, or around. I am pretty sure by recently he was looking at eyes even he is held.
I know he is also growing, learning about world around him and everything seems more interested but I am wondering is this normal?

I don't think you need to worry. Eye contact is one method of communication, which he may do with someone nearby. But he doesn't feel the need to communicate as much with someone who's holding him. He's on their level, close to them and being shown the world from a safe place, so he's going to look elsewhere more.