CLASSICAL PHOTOGRAPHY

A bit about portrait sessions


And the whys of cropping
Click to move to first crop
Here's a full-length bridal portrait, with a bit of room around the subject to show some of the lovely character of the environment. We also wanted to show the overall effect of the dress, veil, tiara, and rose, not to mention our beautiful young lady! Incidentally, it was actually quite cold - very near freezing - and she was a real "trouper" to go through with it. Yes, she's a real bride, not a professional model! Now let's take a look at what can be done from the same negative (shot on medium format film):

Click to see the next crop
Here is the same shot, cropped to a three-quarter view. In the course of a portrait session, or in covering the planned photography for a wedding, we will generally take a variety of shots from different perspectives, to show the background and to move in for emphasis on certain details. In this case, we are using one shot to demonstrate the possibilities that are opened by using medium format equipment and professional film.

Finally, here is the same image again, cropped to a "head shot". The full-length portrait makes quite an impression as a 16x20 print, but we can also create an intimate and charming 8x10 by choosing what part to print.

Click to see another use for cropping

All images copyright © Classical Photography
Cropping doesn't just mean blowing up the center of a picture. In the case of groups or candid shots, an image is sometimes plucked from the edge or corner of a frame. Of course, we try to compose each shot carefully when we make it, so that most often minimal or no cropping at all is needed. Still, it is a useful option.

Of course, the shape of an image can be varied as well.  You will find examples of squares, rectangles, ovals and circles throughout our web site.  The placement of the main subject within the image frame also has a considerable effect on the impact of the photograph.  In our custom albums, we like to mix these possibilities, to keep visual interest on each page. 
See what we did with selective coloring of a black and white image from this session...