cropping of the face


D2Hpeter

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Dec 20, 2003
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i hv noticed that professional photographers tend to crop off a small portion of the head.
Wonder if this is intentional and what is the intended effect??

attached some examples taken from the June 2012 published issues of the Time magazines



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how certain are you it's the photogs and not the mag?
 

space constraints?
 

not likely IMO, looking at the minute amount that they hv cropped [see the attached examples and many more such in many magazines].
must be due to some other reasons.
 

To emphasize the eyes, maybe? I mean, it's better than cropping out the chin, right? :) If you'd notice, the eyes fall along the rule of thirds line. I'd assume this thing works if you want a tight shot of the face. Just a guess.
 

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the brain is in the top part of the skull. by cropping out the top part of the head... they're trying to imply that these people are brainless
 

kei1309 said:
the brain is in the top part of the skull. by cropping out the top part of the head... they're trying to imply that these people are brainless

There it is LOL. So I guess I'm also brainless. Chopped off the top part of my profile photo. :(
 

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the brain is in the top part of the skull. by cropping out the top part of the head... they're trying to imply that these people are brainless

LOL. Trouble is, they seem to do it with surgical precision to crop just to the outside of the skull. Looks like you are the brainy one. :)
btw, notice that your avatar pic also has a slight crop at the top.
 

LOL. Trouble is, they seem to do it with surgical precision to crop just to the outside of the skull. Looks like you are the brainy one. :)
btw, notice that your avatar pic also has a slight crop at the top.

OT a little: because it was a bad hair day for me when i took this picture :bsmilie: so i cropped off the top part
 

sinned79 said:
u have a tendency to rip photos off magazines. try not to do that often.

Bro, serious question. Will have issue meh? I mean the manner in which he take the photo? He never steal the original file and sell right?
 

There it is LOL. So I guess I'm also brainless. Chopped off the top part of my profile photo. :(

noticed that you hv edited yr post after my post after yours, by adding the 2nd and 3rd sentences.

btw, why did you decide to chop off the top part. What was your intention at that time? To make the pic more dramatic and hv more impact?

Other than the eyes at third, i still cannot figure out why would one want to do that? I hv seen a lot it everywhere apart from magazines. So i doubt space constraint is the editors' reason for doing that.
 

Because cutting off the hair, or parts of the hair, will make you focus on the face instead.

Humans have a tendancy to see things that are complete, instead of incomplete. In the pic, the only thing complete is the face. Hence, your eyes will lead you to the face first. If the hair is present, you will look at the photo as an "upper body" on the whole (if the shoulder is present) instead of just the face.
 

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D2Hpeter said:
noticed that you hv edited yr post after my post after yours, by adding the 2nd and 3rd sentences.

btw, why did you decide to chop off the top part. What was your intention at that time? To make the pic more dramatic and hv more impact?

Other than the eyes at third, i still cannot figure out why would one want to do that? I hv seen a lot it everywhere apart from magazines. So i doubt space constraint is the editors' reason for doing that.

LOLs the editing. Force of habit. I always have this incessant need to add more to what I post.

Actually, I don't know. It just looks more pleasing to my eyes. I have ZERO knowledge in portraiture, but to my eyes it just works. Reason: Beats me.
 

Frequently editorial photographers shoot wider.

The art department may crop here and there as they please.

You may shoot a full length shot with lotsa background but few months later they reuse the pic and the crop is only on the model's hand holding the handbag.

For non essential photos or supporting photo, just one or two, it saves time and money compared to arranging a dedicated shoot. Plus nowadays photographers with 24MP 36MP all give alway full resolution files so readily and reduced more job opportunities themselves.