Fashion cropping for Senior Portraits and Headshots – Kathleen Hall Photography Palm Harbor Senior Photographer

Off with their heads!!

Occasionally I get asked about the top of a head in an image and why is it missing?  If you look at the current media, television, movies and magazines, the trend has gone toward cropping into the head in a portrait.  Think about this the next time you view a show.  It is so prevalent that I imagine you never even noticed it.  Not like what they did 20 years ago.  Think back on the portraits on your walls and school portraits.  OK, they look “normal”.  Or do they? Why has the trend gone toward this more “extreme” trend?  Yes, its different and contemporary, but more importantly it has a great deal more impact!  The “rule of thirds” applies in these portraits as well as most artistic works.  The strongest point of impact usually is placed at one of the four connecting points or at least on one of the lines.  Take a look at the images below and you will easily see what I mean. 

 

As your portrait professional, it is my job to give you the finest piece of art you can get and that applies to senior portraits, business headshots, family photos, wedding photography, etc.  Cropping is just one of the tools that I use.  I can’t really use this rule when photographing groups or even when I create a full length image; it just doesn’t work.  But it does work very well with individuals in a closeup or even a 3/4 length portrait.  Especially in seniors and in contemporary headshots or actor’s headshots.  The emphasis goes right to the eyes and the impact on the connection with the viewer is intesified.

I learned early on that you first need to learn the rules and then know when to break them, or apply them.  This can be said about any creative endeavor.  Whether it be a musician, an oil painter or a photographer, the really creative people that make an impact on our lives take and use the rules to create stunning pieces of art for you.

So when you see your head cut off, now you know why!!

Yeah, I did it on purpose!

#whygopro #kathleenhallphotography #headshots #businessportraits #seniorportraits

What should I wear?…Palm Harbor Beach Photographer

I hear this question all the time.  I like to tell my photography clients to coordinate their outfits to each other and to their surroundings.  If you are having beach photos created, as in the portraits below, outfits should look similar.  This doesn’t mean you have to match exactly.  If the colors are similar, then the attention will go straight to the faces instead of the clothing.  You are, after all, having a portrait created of your family, not necessarily your clothing.  The clothes should represent who you are at this time with style and color choices and should be appropriate to the location.  A more urban look might be a little or a lot dressier.  A studio choice could be very dressy or very casual.  We want the family photographs to show your personality.  You might also consider where the finished photograph will be displayed.  If the room is very formal, will a very casual portrait look good their?  Will it look out of place?  Choose wisely to have the colors and style complement you, your family and your surroundings.  The DelDuca family did a great job with just a pop of color on mom to add interest.  And we got blessed with BEAUTIFUL skies that night!

I have pulled some color combinations out of the images to help you get an idea of some other colors that may have worked as well in these situations.  When you pick out your family’s clothes for their photographs, throw all the clothes on the bed together and see if anything looks out of place.  Trust your eye, you will know what you like!  If you are hesitant at all, please just give me a call and I can help guide you in your choices.  I have been doing this for over 20 years with many happy clients.  Let me help make your family photo an heirloom to treasure.  Check out my portfolio on my website to get more inspiration.

Take better vacation photos…Palm Harbor Photographer

How to take better vacation photos?  Plan a better vacation.

Has anyone seen this ad?  It might be by American Express or some travel company, not sure.  But be that as it may, this really is not true.  Remember to focus on the details.  Plan your shots and decide what is really important to you.  Think about:

·         the time of day,

·         the composition,

·         the rule of thirds (think tic-tac-toe box and place the center of interest in one of the x’s)

·         the repetition or patterns in an image.  

Take these four things into consideration and you will automatically get better images.  If you take a photo of your kid canoeing on the lake and take it from the shore, it will be a shot of the day.  If you take a close up shot of your child’s tiny hand trying hard to grip the paddle, the sweaty hair down the back of his neck or him leaning over just draping his hand in the water, those will be moments to remember.  The Eiffel tower could not have more meaning to you and your family in the years to come.  I have included some images from a inexpensive three day cruise vacation taken years ago on Carnival Cruise lines.  I loved all the different light and the architecture that you can only find aboard ship and created these images for a memory of our time on board. Enjoy.  And remember to THINK about what you are taking images of before you click the shutter!

Stand up Straight…

Posture.  There is a lot to be said for good posture.  I see a lot of trends over the years with people’s posture.  For years it was one shoulder higher than the other, because that is the shoulder they held the phone on!  Now, when I tell clients to sit up straight, they usually all lean back just a little in their chairs, because that is how they are used to sitting at their computers!  So when I get them straight, they feel a little odd for a few seconds!  Posture can do very good things for the final portrait.  It lengthens the body and puts all the “parts” where they should be!  Good posture gives an impression of alertness and assertiveness in a client as well.  So, I am always saying sit up straight or tall and encouraging clients to look their best.  Ok, so now that is all said and done, there is the case for a slight easiness among clients to establish relationships.  Take a look at these two mother and daughter portraits.  Just a slight lean of the daughter in the second one creates the finishing touch on the portrait.  She relaxes into her mom and the closeness that you can feel in that one is much more real and less posed.  So, exceptions to every rule.  As a photographer, I feel it is my job to watch for these things and correct them ever so slightly to get the emotional content that you desire to have in a portrait.     I do so love my job and all the family relationships that I get to witness every week.

Do this…Not that…..

In the interest of sharing what I have learned over the years, I decided to start a new feature that I hope I can update on a regular basis.  I went to  Honeymoon Island yesterday evening and found wonderful lighting and some great images to photograph.  As I approached one of the benches there and was drawn to the lighting, I went through the process of eliminating all extraneous parts of the image almost automatically.  As I paused, I realized that many may not have the benefit of my experience.  So, here is the do not do:

Obviously, a nice bench, nice lighting, good sea oats, nice sky…But, my shadow, cars in the background, horizon line not level… so, try this…

2nd attempt

Better, but lighting flattened out and I lost the tops of the sea oats.. so … try this… Third try!

Much better lighting, my shadow is gone, the sea oats are in the sky so that they stand out, the parking lot is all but gone, but the horizon line is still a little bit askew, so … go ahead, take one more… Final!

Horizon line much straighter, the bench now appears to not be leaning forward, the sea oats are more pronounced in the blue sky and even in the clouds.  You can find great images anywhere, just look. Then look again, adjust your position, walk around the image, get down low or up high, until you find the look you are looking for.  Make your images great!