photographer is trying to draw attention to the positive
features of the subject and produce a flattering likeness.
Whenshootingforaclosetightheadshotthephotographer
shouldbesuretoaccentuategoodfeaturesandtoholdback
thosethatdonotaddtotheimage.Forexampleears,chins
andnosescanbesympatheticallyhandledtocreateamore
pleasingimage.Quiteoftencroppingoutafeaturethatdoes
notneedtobetherewillmakeforacleanerand simpler
image. For example, when producing an image of the
profileofapersonthephotographermaycropouttheear
andthebackoftheheadofthesubjecttodrawtheviewer’s
attention towards the face.
Extremetightcroppingofthemaskofthefacecanproduce
some verygraphicand abstractimages,if producedina
consideredway.Takingelementsfromwithinthefaceand
highlightingthesewillcreateawholenewperspectiveof
theportrait.Croppingofthisnatureneedstobecleaninits
delivery, with all other details excluded. Tight cropping
shouldbejustthat–ifthephotographerisnottightenough
theeffectistoflattenoutthefacialfeaturesand remove
depth and shape from the portrait.
Whenshootingmid-orfull-lengthportraitsthis becomes
moredetailedandcomplex,asthecroppingoflimbscomes
intoplay.Againtherearegeneralrulesinportraiturewhich
thephotographershouldfollow,themostimportantbeing
to nevercrop intoalimb.Fingers andfeet,beingatthe
endsoftheselimbs,arepronetobeingcroppedincorrectly,
andyoushouldensurethattheyareallwithintheframeof
theimageiftheyareintendedtobe.Shootinglooselyand
allowing more space in these situations is often good
practice,to makecertainthatthesearenot missed.Legs