Critique Close portrait crops - what do you do?

mikeyw

mikeyw

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I'd like to try and get a bit more creative with my portrait crops, and try and see the image a bit differently.

I'm a bit wary of cropping too close so wondered if there are any rules regarding closer crops on faces ?

I've gone for this crop of a recent image which i quite like and wondered if people could offer advice on what may work better ? - also any techniques to reduce make-up shine ?

DSC_3405_2.jpg


Thanks,
Mike.
 
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The shape of her face and the reenforcement brought by the hair…
I would explore a square-ish crop 1:1, 4:5 or 3:4 but not 2:3.
 
mikeyw said:
wondered if there are any rules regarding closer crops on faces
Click to expand...


Rules are cool but only when one is out of ideas. :D
 
Tools, not rules. That's my philosophy!

For me, it's too close. It's a pleasing expression, and nice & engaging with the eye contact, but it feels to claustrophobic for my liking. It also looks blurred though that could easily be my eyes.
It's also square on, same height. There's no tilt or turn to the head, which again - are things that engage me. In general, I find square on to be unflattering..

The makeup is simple and effective and it's a lovely smile, with bright squinchy eyes.
Doing it again? Try a chair at an angle so your model is not square on and has to look up. Try going in closer and focussing on elements (just the eyes, half a face etc) and also pulling back to give a bit of space for the newly angled face to look into. You can still go close, but with a tilted head, you can give it a bit more breathing space.

Just my opinion though! Please take what you like etc. I am also not an expert but I know what I like :)
 
Way too close for me, an “in your face” portrait that doesn’t sit well in the narrow frame - to me it gives the lady a long narrow face.
 
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