Cropped limbs

[Skoropada]

I have noticed that many of the critiques on portraits relate to cropped arms or legs.

Personally, I don't notice those things until someone else has pointed it out, but it appears to be considered a blatant error by many photographers.

I have no formal education in photography, and even less in portraiture, but it seems to me that the face should be the main focus of a portrait and that everything else is accesory, hence not that important.

Can someone shed a light on this topic?

Thanks!

[scootermcq]

Really, it is where it feels or looks wrong. If you crop higher on a limb, it is cool. If you crop at a joint, it looks akward. If you crop at the hand or feet, it looks akward as well. There is no "rule", but if it feels off, then the crop is probably in the wrong spot.

I guess it's like why is it ok to cut off the top of someone's head in a head shot, but if you do it in full length, you have screwed up?

[JFSanders]

Look at it like this. Would you read a book that didn't have part of the story? The photograph is supposed to convey a message and with an unwieldy crop the message is distorted to some degree and the amount of displeasure a viewer gets from the distortion is very subjective. There are fine art photographers out there that do such crops on purpose just to jar the viewer.

Jim

[Skoropada]

Originally Posted by JFSanders

Look at it like this. Would you read a book that didn't have part of the story? The photograph is supposed to convey a message and with an unwieldy crop the message is distorted to some degree and the amount of displeasure a viewer gets from the distortion is very subjective. There are fine art photographers out there that do such crops on purpose just to jar the viewer.

Jim

I understand what you say, but does it mean that every portrait should be a full body portrait?

[JFSanders]

No, as Scooter said, it is more of a convention as apposed to a rigid rule. As in all rules in photography they can be broken and in the interest of stretching your artistic muscles, they should be broken in due course. The only rules in photography that are rigid are those that are governed by the laws of physics and they aint so rigid that a really good code writer can't bend them to his will.

Jim

[autofocus]

If you crop below the knee the subject looks like their feet are stuck in the mud..or worse yet, a double amputee. The same is true for crops below the elbow, also for hands and fingers and ears chopped off. As you stated, the face is very important, but chopped off limbs will take away from the all important face.

[wulf]

You have to evaluate for yourself. Sometimes people will offer critique by parroting what they have heard from others rather than from a deep aesthetic sensibility. To be fair, that is as much part of the learning process as putting your own images up for critique but don't imagine that all comments are irrefutable.

Was it some images of yours that drew the comments? If so, perhaps you could give a link so we can take a look.

Wulf

[autofocus]

Here's a good video on this very subject

Composing Portraits?AdoramaTV from Adorama Learning Center

[Skoropada]

Originally Posted by wulf

You have to evaluate for yourself. Sometimes people will offer critique by parroting what they have heard from others rather than from a deep aesthetic sensibility. To be fair, that is as much part of the learning process as putting your own images up for critique but don't imagine that all comments are irrefutable.

Was it some images of yours that drew the comments? If so, perhaps you could give a link so we can take a look.

Wulf

No Wulf, I didn't receive that critique on any of my pictures as I hardly do any portraits.

[Dennismc]

I stopped listening to other and just try to take the shot that looks good now.

Look at any fashion mag or people etc, and you will notice that just about all the shots used in the ad's would break darn near every "rule" we read about or get told.

Its good to have an understanding the "rules" per se, so when needed you can use them and know when to not use them. Other then that, take the good shot, make it look great and be done...