To cut or not to cut? That is the question? Rather not, it is about knowing how to crop a photo or where to cut. Many times in the blog we have recommended you to fill the frame, cut off heads or everything that is necessary for your photography to gain impact. Cutting is fine, but cutting fine. That’s what today’s article is about. I am going to give you the keys so that you know where it is or is not advisable to do the cut when framing your photograph. Because no, it is not the same to cut through the ankles as through the middle of the thigh.
There are certain basic rules of how to crop a photo, which is not that someone came one day and said: “Here yes and here no.” Rather, they are rules derived from what has been proven to work and what hasn’t. It is also true that, sometimes, one’s own creativity is above any rule. Of course, for this there must be a clear intention, a reason to skip the rule. If it is due to ignorance of the norm, rest assured that it will be too obvious and will not work.
How to crop a portrait photo
Let’s first see how to crop a portrait photo and where we run the serious risk of spoiling the image. You will know that there are different types of photographic planes; if you don’t know, now is the time for you to find out ;). I say this because it is likely that when you say portrait you only think of a face, however, a portrait can also be a full-length or half-length photo, etc. This is important now because I will not only talk about cutting an ear or not, but we will also talk about limbs.
The basic rule in portraits is never trim at the joints. It does not fit. It’s like somehow we would amputate a member to the subject. That is the impression at an unconscious level that it causes us and that is why it does not usually work.
As a guide, I’ll give you a diagram of where it’s good to cut (purple) and where it’s not so good (yellow caution 😉 ). I add the blue for two areas that I want to nuance below.
As you will see, the yellow lines are the ones that match fingers either jointsalso with the ears (if you are going to do without one ear, or both, it is better to do it completely, not a piece). I have also marked in yellow the chin. Sorry, cropping a photo to the middle of the chin is awkward, however, you can crop through the forehead normally. Here is an example, which image do you find “pleasing” to the eye?
Here’s another comparison, if you notice, the image on the left has areas that are cut off, there is no space around the whole baby, however it works. Unlike the one on the right, that the cuts are too aggressive (hands and knee).
Speaking of knees, in this example you will see it more clearly… Now that you see both, where would you cut?
Now let’s see those parts with shades, the neck and the shins as we call it by my land. They are the parts that I have marked in blue. Many photographers point to them as good or acceptable cutting areas, however, they do not fit me, or at least not always.
We see it better with examples, but you decide. First the “pimples”, to me in the middle of the thigh it seems to me that all the photos usually look good, but cutting to midway knee and ankle It doesn’t seem to me that it usually works, it gives me the impression that something is missing in the image, something screeched, and look I’ve made this mistake many times, and I couldn’t see what was happening. Another comparison, which frame do you like more?
In this case, I find the frame on the left more pleasant, I think it works better. Do you agree with me?
The other part of the body that I would put shades on is the neck. Ok, many say that it can be cut at the neck without problems. Sure? If you pay a little attention you will see that it is not in any part of the neck. Some photos look more like beheadings to me (sorry for the exaggeration) than portraits. Leaving some air and cutting closer to the collarbones I think is much better than cutting just at the beginning or middle of the neck. Beauties aside, look at these two pictures, they are both cut off at the neck, but I think the feeling is very different. The photo of the girl has been cut off a little below and doesn’t feel as overwhelmed as the boy’s, don’t you think?
How to crop other photos
Not only in portraits we have to pay attention to the place of cut. In any other photograph we take into account the composition, the way in which we place the elements within the frame, that is, where and how to crop the photo. Sometimes we opt for negative space:
Others, however, prefer to fill the frame:
These are two very valuable resources that you should take into account when cropping your photo. Now, what happens when we stop halfway? How do we do it if we don’t want to fill or leave negative space?
Many times, it is not necessary for an object to appear in its entirety so that its beauty can be admired, our brain is capable of completing the image, especially when it comes to geometric figures or recognizable shapes.
Could the entire door have been framed? Of course, an even better picture could have been taken with the entire door. But do you think that’s how it works? If you think so, you can take it as a trick if on the other side there is a group of immovable people who have insisted on spoiling your photo ;).
Imagine a plate of food of those that are worth spoiling placed on a carefully laid table, with great detail. How about cutting it in half and revealing some of the table decorations? How about just showing a couple’s feet to hint at a story without showing anything?
The key is often to find the visual balance. Just as there are some “rules” to know where to cut in a portrait, in the rest of the photographs it is more a training of the eye in terms of balance. Do not get overwhelmed, you will discover it little by little, with practice. You can also rely on other “laws” such as the three-thirds law or the gaze law. They can be a good guide when in doubt ;).
Small exercise of cuts in photos
Now I am going to show you a gallery with two types of photos, some in which I think the framing is nice and others in which, in my humble opinion, something does not quite work. The idea is that you observe them, notice where the frame cuts, try to find out if it works or not. In case something squeak, try to find out what it is. From here you can apply it to your photos.
And now… how about you practice a little? It will be useless for you to have read this article if you do not put it into practice. Of course, if you have found it minimally useful, I am going to ask you to share it on your favorite social network before you start practicing with the camera. Thanks and see you soon!