Horizonal Portrait and crop?

[tmjjk]

Did I kill this shot by cropping her hands and taking it horizonally... I took this a few weeks ago, and I have learned so much of what not to do since then.

 

[tirediron]

Yep, I you did. The exposure is good, her expression is nice, but the disembodied hands DO NOT work for me.

 

[tmjjk]

When I pulled it up on the pc... I was so bummed, I knew it was a loss. Do you think it is ever acceptable to take a portrait in landscape orientation? I am consistantly doing it "the right way" now... just wondered how people feel about breaking this rule?

 

[12sndsgood]

this image doesn't bother me to much in landscape just because her eyes are looking in that direction. if she had been looking at the camera i probalby wouldnt like the landscape orientation at all. but yeah the hand issue kills it. that's just my opinion.

 

[PatrickCheung]

Is it a rule that all portraits need to be in portrait orientation? I haven't taken a photo with my camera vertical for a long time... and most of my photos have people in it (does that mean all my photos are lost as well?)

I think the photo's beautiful, to be honest. The cropped hands don't bug me that much... my focus is drawn to her eyes and her expression, not her hands. I think this photo's a keeper.

 

[tmjjk]

i agree... thank you ... I read something the other day about don't crop at joints? I have another image of this cutey, but I cropped her darn feet.... Is it ever acceptable to crop body parts?... Is there a guideline to follow when taking upper body photos.. thanks

 

[michael9000000]

Is it ever acceptable to crop body parts?

Yes... Cropping body parts is acceptable... Just take care not to crop at joints (ankles, knees, elbows, wrists, etc) because that brings unpleasant tension to the photo.

In spite of any perceived composition flaws, I think your photo is absolutely gorgeous!

 

[tmjjk]

thank you so much... and my goal this evening when I am shooting a family of three.... no cropping important body parts and even lighting.... wish me luck! Sounds easy doesn't it? LOL

 

[PatrickCheung]

I think the rule of thumb is to avoid cropping in such a way that creates an awkward form to look at!

Also, I feel as if the "portrait must be in portrait" rule is rubbish, many amazing portraits have been taken in landscape! Don't be afraid to shoot a little further back with the camera in landscape.

 

[michael9000000]

thank you so much... and my goal this evening when I am shooting a family of three.... no cropping important body parts and even lighting.... wish me luck! Sounds easy doesn't it? LOL

I think you'll do great... I've always found that planning the shot is hard, and executing the shot is easy.

If I were to offer you any advice about this evening's shoot, I'd say take your time and be thoughtful above all else. Plan in advance. Show up early. Take test shots to get the lighting and exposure exactly the way you want them. Don't rush to pull the trigger, and don't be afraid to ask for a do-over if you think it's necessary. Storage is cheap and megapixels are free.

Confidence is key. Even if you're panicking on the inside and you're not sure what to do next, your clients will trust you as long as you appear calm and in control. If you take a shot and screw up the exposure, focus, or composition, you can simply say "I'd like to adjust my camera/lens/settings and try that shot again." You may know that you're fixing a mistake, but to the client, you're simply showing precision and decisiveness.

Go get'em!!!

 

[tmjjk]

Thanks so much! I normally don't get a boost here... lol. And trust me sometimes I need it. I was just recently clued in to the "portrait rule" here in this forum. I generally take horizontal shots... its kinda my style. I just want to be taken seriously... and I know I have a ton to learn. I just have to understand and figure out what to keep and grow from and what to let roll off my back. I sincerely appreciate you guys. Thank you

 

[Jaemie]

I think the rule of thumb is to avoid cropping in such a way that creates an awkward form to look at!

Also, I feel as if the "portrait must be in portrait" rule is rubbish, many amazing portraits have been taken in landscape! Don't be afraid to shoot a little further back with the camera in landscape.

^^ Very well said.

 

[Haya.H]

As much as i wish her hands were in this picture, it really doesnt ruin this picture. something about her expression, the lighting her eyes, just everything makes me love this photo.

and yeah i second that the rule you heard is rubbish!

 

[tmjjk]

yay thank you

 

[Designer]

Is it a rule that all portraits need to be in portrait orientation? I haven't taken a photo with my camera vertical for a long time... and most of my photos have people in it (does that mean all my photos are lost as well?)

I think the photo's beautiful, to be honest. The cropped hands don't bug me that much... my focus is drawn to her eyes and her expression, not her hands. I think this photo's a keeper.

Well, Patrick, rules can sometimes be broken, but there should be a reason the break the "rule". In other words, once someone understands the "rule", and then finds a legitimate reason to break that rule, then breaking the rule is irrelevant to the shot in question. No, not all portraits absolutely need to be on portrait format, only those that do. So we see here in this particular shot that your model (so cute!) appears to be looking into the frame, and therefore she needs the "space" to look into, if you see what I mean.


Now then, there is the seperate issue of the crop. Cropping the frame just below her face is not the big sin, but rather cropping her hands leaves the viewer wondering why, exactly, you chose to crop where you did. If you are cropping simply to porportion the frame to fit some preconceived shape, ie; a "standard" picture frame, then you have not done the image justice. Think of it this way: If the expertly cropped image simply does not fit the "standard" picture frame, then that is why God invented matting. So crop the image to where it looks good (leaving her hands in this case) and mat the picture when you put it into the picture frame. Sometimes we just have to ignore the "rule".

Oh, darn! I should have directed my remarks to tmjjk, the OP. :blushing: