Tips for getting your photos right for beginners and professionals. How to crop the finished shot and not spoil the impression on the audience?
A photographer’s professionalism is not only determined by how correctly he sets the light, chooses lenses for shooting, and monitors the composition of the picture. The final result also depends on how the specialist processes the photos. Cropping is an essential part of photo editing. Cropping a picture incorrectly can ruin the look of the picture and make the photographer’s other work look bad.
There are many recommendations on how to crop images online. The image is cut at the model’s waist, mid-thigh, or below the knee. Moreover, pruning can be done over the forearms or above the head. Before taking a photo, consider where precisely the crop will be done. Ask the model to raise her arms slightly if this is a zone in the waist area. So, you will save yourself from the necessary adjustment of the photo to the model’s hands.
Photo cropping should never be done at the joints. Also, when you’re done, make sure the model’s chin doesn’t get cut off.
There are many rules about cropping portrait shots. Even professional photographers take a long time to learn and try things out. There are plenty of mistakes that have to be made until it is possible to achieve the ideal result. Many beginning photographers do not pay adequate attention to the correct image of photos. Moreover, such processing can significantly impact the future portrait’s impact on the viewer.
We’ve put together a few tips to help a beginner with cropping photos.
Tips for Properly Cropping Portraits
Frame your shot as you shoot
This technique involves compiling the image in the form in which it should be the final result. In simple words – the photo is already taken with cropping. The photographer does not leave “extra space” in the picture, which must be removed during the final photo processing.
This approach has several advantages:
- An image immediately captured in the way you want looks entirely different. This approach to shooting allows you to instantly fill the frame and perform the necessary blurring of the background in the portrait. The viewer will be able to focus their eyes and attention immediately on the desired elements of the picture.
- The resulting image will retain its size. Taking a full-size photo and then cropping the image results in a significant reduction in the size of the final photo. Remember that reducing the size will affect the quality of the picture. The image will lose its sharpness and detail.
Do not crop photos at the level of the joints
The best option for cropping the image is on the mid-thigh line of the model. In this case, cropping will give the best result. A common mistake is to cut along the knee line. This also applies to any other joint on the model’s body. It is also undesirable to show in the photo part of the knee where the dress, skirt, or shorts ends.
They are cropping at the level of the joint, causing the model to look awkward in the photo. The photographer must remember that the primary purpose of the picture is to emphasize all the advantages of the model’s body, to show it in the most favorable light. A photographer can successfully hide or reduce flaws not only with a properly exposed image but also with an adequately cropped image. It is also important not to forget the correct aspect ratio of the finished image.
Follow the model’s chin and eyes
The photographer needs to aim for the model’s eyes to be in the upper third of the frame. It is undesirable to crop the photo at the subject’s chin level. Such cropping will look awkward, and the viewer will also get the impression that the photographer worked inattentively and ignored details.
Try new shooting options
The ubiquity of social networks has led to the view of classic portrait photography has changed somewhat. If earlier photographers preferred to take portrait shots in a vertical view, now there are many other variations.
The photographer can start shooting in the classic vertical mode, gradually flipping the camera to get exciting portrait shots in a horizontal format.
Here is one option for an exciting shot – ensure that the model poses in the left or right half of a third of the frame. With this approach, the photo will acquire dynamism and become more attractive.
Follow your intuition
Finding your style is the starting point for a successful photography career. Numerous tips can be followed, but not with 100% accuracy. Try to bring something new, constantly experimenting.
Creating your style is impossible without experimentation. You don’t have to take every photo the same. Change models, locations, poses, camera positions, and more. Don’t be afraid to combine different poses, places, and other elements. Always strive to find something new. Carefully read the finished image – do you see the author’s mistake or an unusual idea in it?
Remember that constantly following the rules will only make your pictures seem soulless and lose any intrigue and uniqueness.
