composition issue

[MinnesotaTony]

Just looking for a few opinions on the composition of the following picture - just the pic mind you, not the baby girl - did the best I could there

Basically, my question is - slightly wider angle shot? get the hands all the way in, all the way out? or, just get the eyes more in the upper left corner of the photo (of course, I want the quilt in too, though) hmmm....

Thanks a lot!

Tony

[MN Shutterbug]

I'm far from a portrait photrapher, but I personally, dislike seeing part of anything cut off a picture. I realize many photographers cut off tops of heads, but I don't care for it. I would definitely include the hands, totally. This is just my opinion. I'm sure you'll get others.

Welcome to the forum.

[WifeKidsandDog]

I love the eye contact and I definitely want to see the little baby hands in the shot, too. But this is lovely as it is, beautiful skin tones.

Cheryl

[finnbay]

While there are some "rules" as to composition, what works is really in the eye of the beholder. It amazes me how many times I will give two or three or four crops of a shot for a client and they will choose the one I like the least. But, that's why I give them several crops. Happened again this week with a grad shoot. Of three crops, the client picked the one I liked the least. Personally, I like very tight crops. To each his own. For me, I find it's very helpful to put several crops together and see if one jumps out at me.

Here's one shot of my grandson taken Labor Day weekend and cropped to a "wide", "medium" and "tight". Not a particularly great shot (a bit soft and no PP) but it should give an idea of what I'm trying to say. One jumps out at me as my favorite. Do any to you?

Each crop seems to have it's own personality!

[dockothebay]

Tony, I am not a portrait photographer by any stretch - but here's my 2 cents-- I would either have the hands entirely the shot or entirely out of it - here's one option (although it cuts out most of the quilt). To me the white t shirt kind of overwhelms from the full image. And - she's beautiful! I have a feeling she'll have many, many beautiful portraits in her future Hope it's ok that I played with it a bit.

Ken - I like the medium crop - love those little fists! Looks like a guy with personality plus!

[supercool6]

there is no doubt everyone shoots with a different eye and see something different in every shot.

I like the wide open pic, it tells a story. the body posture adds to the photo.

[MN Shutterbug]

I like the wide open pic, it tells a story. the body posture adds to the photo.

Ditto for me. I'm the same way with my bird shots. I don't like to see anything smothered. As long as the environment is pleasing to the eye, I like to see it included, as long as it doesn't take precedence and minimize the subject.

But, as mentioned, it does come down to personal taste.

[Steve Foss]

Tony, was this shot for a client? If so, they'll of course have the final say on what they like and don't.

Asking a bunch of photographers what they think of a composition will get you opinions from a bunch of photographers, and we don't look at things the same way as non-photographic clients. Not at all.

For what it's worth, I like the image quite a lot. I'd like to see a bit more of the hands, just so I see what they are doing, not that I need to see them completely. If the hands add an engaging element to the image, I'd include them. If they're just laying there, they don't add much, and I'd exclude them. I doubt very much the child's parents, if they are your clients, would care much one way or the other. Their attention would probably be locked onto the face, with any hands visible or the blanket as a secondary element of interest.

If the blanket has emotional value for those interested in the photo, I'd definitely leave it in. If it's just a regular ole baby blanket that the parents don't care about, I'd favor a less distracting solid neutrally-colored blanket to lock the viewer's attention even more strongly on the face.

Just my two cents.

[MinnesotaTony]

Steve - I'm just starting out in photography & this is my daughter. I really loved the eye contact and the shot as a whole mostly, but something "just wasn't quite right" - I was trying to get an idea of how some of you guys/gals would set this up differently. I agree on the blanket. It may be too "busy".

Jackie - I like your crop.. It does look better without half the hands. I think I'd like to see them all the way in the photo, but they're simply not there. Also, the more I look at it, the shirt is trying to take over a bit.. I like the contrast of the skin tone with the white, but it might be a bit too much, I think.

Ken - thanks for posting the 3 crops. To my eye, the wide shot and the medium shot both look great, for different reasons. The first draws towards the eyes, while the second pulls me toward the fists.

Mike & Cheryl - I agree on the hands. I'll have to be careful not to chop them off - I can always decide to crop them out.

Thanks for taking a look! I realize that most of the work on here is nature/landscapes (which are amazing) - I appreciate the time to help me out with some (fairly basic?) portrait stuff.

(On a related note, I'm fairly new to the forum. If portraits are generally not posted, etc., please let me know.)

[finnbay]

Portraits A-OK!

[WifeKidsandDog]

I love portraits -- particularly kids, babies and puppies.

Cheryl

[Steve Foss]

Tony, thanks for the info. It's tough to give advice online. Easier when a person knows more about the photographer.

[hondarider550]

Very important to not make the photo too busy. The quilt may be doing that some. It is too bad that you dont have the option of including the hands into the pic so next time you will know that you should include them and you can always crop down. I usually try to shoot a little larger area than what my idea has then I have the room to crop down to maximize my photo potential.

Ken, I like the middle pic the best. Puts the focus on the child but includes all of the story that you want to present to the viewer. Great pics no matter how you look at them.

[Birdsong]

Tony, the quilt does seem a bit busy, but the dark blue star background is definitely pulling out the darkness of her beautiful eyes. Is it possible that the reverse side is a solid piece of the same blue? It adds to the photo in its own way. Judging by the number of responses you are getting, I would feel very comfortable posting more portrait/baby photos if I were you. She is beautiful, and the portrait is beautiful. Just a step or two short of perfect.