Chopping off heads

[Gary Holliday]

If life were perfect, all my portrait clients would be artists, unfortunately Kodak told every layman that chopping off heads is not allowed.

So cropping heads is it art, poor technique, or should it be avoided if your client is the general ignorant public?

[wfe]

I don't worry about the general public's consensus or what any rules are, I simply make the picture that I like. Sometimes a chopped head works and sometimes it doesn't. If it works I'll go with it if not then so be it. If I'm shooting for a paying client I'll shoot both just so I have them. After all the client may not like what you or I like and they have to be happy at the end of the day. If it is personal work then it's what I like.

Cheers,
Bill

[Michel Hardy-Vallée]

I think people have been reasonably exposed to a number of "chopped head tops" photos by advertisement, magazines, and so on.

Musicians often use notes that don't chime together; there's no reason why photographs should not do the same.

[SuzanneR]

Something wrong with chopped off heads???? With that question asked, I will say, I find it harder for a portrait to work when the neck or collar are chopped off... but not always. YMMV, of course, as with all things photographic.

http://www.apug.org/gallery/showphot...00&ppuser=2670

[Cheryl Jacobs]

I chop heads all the time. I have examples all over my website, so my clients aren't surprised by it.

[Shmoo]

... unfortunately Kodak told every layman that chopping off heads is not allowed.

So cropping heads is it art, poor technique, or should it be avoided if your client is the general ignorant public?

If it was good enough for Marie Antoinette, it's more than good enough for the "general ignorant public"...

Sorry, I couldn't resist!!! lol lol lol

[Kino]

It is much easier to place a chopped off head in the frame than tote that limp body all over and make it sit upright...

Oh...

Never mind...

[TheFlyingCamera]

It is much easier to place a chopped off head in the frame than tote that limp body all over and make it sit upright...

Oh...

Never mind...

You MUST be a Joel-Peter Witkin protege then!

[DarkroomExperimente]

wasn't Ansel Adams who said all the rules about composition were irrelevant and useless?

[pentaxuser]

It is much easier to place a chopped off head in the frame than tote that limp body all over and make it sit upright...

Oh...

Never mind...

Yes and if done quickly enough, the eyes will follow you around the room for a few moments.

Any advance on this level of black humour?

pentaxuser