Why is the head chopped off?

Craig Cooper March 25, 2014 Advice, News, portrait photographer

Every so often we get someone questioning why the top of the head (the crown) is chopped off in many of our photos. No, it’s not a mistake! We didn’t print it badly, nor were we a bit wobbly when we composed the shot!

To explain our approach: When we compose photographs we are aware of “leading lines”: these are typically the lines in a photograph where light meets dark (“contrast edges”) such as the line between someone’s shoulder or head and the background. The eye is drawn to, and follows, these leading lines. In close-up portraiture I often crop out the top of the head as the circular line of the head would sometimes lead away from – rather than towards – the eyes, which are properly the focus of most portraits. As an emotional response, such technique allows for a more intimate feel, whereas the same photo cropped full might feel more distant or removed.

Consider the two images below (of the lovely Tania – one of our awesome customers). These are actually the exact same frame, with different cropping treatment. The first is cropped to place more emphasis on the eyes and this has resulted in the crown of the head being cropped out of the photograph. The second is how this image was originally captured and provides a bit more information, but seems a little more distant. I think both approaches are equally valid, but definitely create a different feeling. Which do you prefer?

The idea of cropping out the top of the head has been around and considered legitimate for a long time – approximately as long as photography itself: I’ve attached some photographs from Edward Steichen who is considered one of the great grandfathers of our craft and went on to be one of the founding contributors to Vogue – these were taken in the early 20th century (1900-1930):

I think these portraits are absolutely gorgeous by the way, don’t you? Even more impressive when you consider that they were shot on a view camera – that’s the old camera on a tripod where the photographer puts a cloth over the head – and that they were taken between 1903 and around 1930! Check out Edward Steichen’s wikipedia entry here and more about him here.

Horse portraiture – considerations

jodiemcgrath July 31, 2013 News

Seeing as we have had a lot of enquiries recently concerning horse portraiture, I figured it was about time that I write a blog for you guys about what things you should think about for this particular type of shoot.

Thanks goes to my good friend Lauren, for asking a million questions that you also might like to ask – hopefully the answers are helpful!

What are the challenges or issues that I need to consider when having a location shoot with my horse?

Below are what I believe are the main challenges that need to be addressed when dealing with a location shoot, and how we aim to work with those factors to ensure we create the best possible images for you.

weather
- While rain and windy weather would possibly require rescheduling, don’t stress too much if there are storm clouds brewing and it looks like it might hold off for a while – often these dramatic skies create amazing photos!
- The other extreme is the heat, as not only is it uncomfortable for you and the photographer, but nobody looks good drenched in sweat!
  - To combat this, we will organise a suitable time of the day to hold your photo shoot to avoid the hottest part of the day.
  - Alternatively, a warm day at the beach with your horse is always fun!
lighting
- The quality of the light in the sky will greatly effect your images, which is why we will aim to organise your shoot either first thing in the morning, or in the late afternoon when the sun is low in the sky.
  - The light at these times is normally not as harsh as the midday sun, which means there will be less unflattering shadows to deal with
- We have started taking studio lighting on location with us to help maintain some control with the lighting, so can work better with the available light on the day and manipulate it to our advantage
location
- The actual location is an important consideration as it will form the background to your images.
  - It needs to be horse friendly, so we will often shoot where your horse is kept if it is nice enough, or at a nearby location if you are able to float your horse
    - Previous locations we have used include Naval Base horse beach, Brookleigh, Byford 50 acres, and various private properties and agistment centres.
    - We are always open to suggestion with location, so make sure you have a chat to us and we will see what will work best!
  - If you want individual shots of your horse without gear on (them cantering around etc) then you will need to take this into consideration when choosing a location, as an enclosed area would be required for these type of shots so they can hoon around in safety! – e.g. arena, paddock etc

What do I need to organise?

Organisation always plays a big part in any shoot, so here are my suggestions for what to prepare!

First up you will need to consider the feel you want for the photos, as this will dictate to a certain extent what organisation will be required
- Do you want something casual and relaxed, something more cuddly and soft, or something a bit more fashion-like?

casual/relaxed

soft/cuddly

fashion

Once you have decided on the feel and look that you want for your photos, it will make it easier to decide what you will need to bring, and what to wear.
- When choosing what to wear, you should keep in mind that you want something that will look good in your photos (as opposed to the clothes we normally designate to being horse clothes when we don’t care if they get ruined!) so don’t feel you need to wear jodphurs or jeans, unless this is the feel you want for your photos.
- What you bring for the horse will again be dictated to a certain extent the type of photos you want, for example if you don’t want ridden shots, you won’t need your saddle (unless brave enough to ride bareback!), or if you want say a more Western styled shoot then you will need gear that matches (Western style halter/bridle etc)
  - Feel free to get creative!
Other main things to do in preparation for the shoot include:
- make sure the horse is neat and tidy before your photographer arrives! This may mean washing etc the day prior if you have time (or day of depending on shoot time) or at the very least ensuring they have been groomed as you want them to look their best!
- ensure any gear you are including in the shoot is clean, again so it looks its best!
- if you are introducing creative ideas into the shoot, make sure your horse is happy to deal with those elements prior to the shoot, as you don’t want to waste your time trying to train the horse to accept something new – it will just make you frustrated and flustered!
  - for example, if doing a shoot at the beach, if possible make sure the horse is used to the beach and is comfortable to go in the water etc
  - alternatively if you are planning on wearing non-traditional clothes (such as I did in the above ‘fashion’ shot) then make sure your horse is willing to accept you riding in something that covers them!
  - safety is paramount, so if you are not comfortable riding without a helmet etc, then discuss with your photographer so we can ensure that we don’t ask you to do something that you are not comfortable with
    - likewise if you are not comfortable wearing unsafe footwear, take this into consideration when selecting outfits etc
- don’t feel that you need to practice poses etc in preparation for the shoot (unless you want to of course!) as that is our job!
  - You are more than welcome though to search online etc for ideas of what you want to try, and we can then put our own spin on it, and build on your ideas
  - It is also worthwhile considering prior to the shoot whether your horse will be comfortable with you leaning down, hugging next etc while you are on – we all know how precious they can be sometimes and its alway best to know beforehand what they are likely to do!

Hopefully this rather lengthy blog has helped answer any questions that you might have, and give you some inspiration when preparing for your own horse shoot! If you have anything else that you would like to know, feel free to contact us!

[slideshow id=66]

[slideshow id=53]

[slideshow id=36]

Adorable babies galore!

jodiemcgrath July 25, 2013 News

We have been inundated with some really adorable babies lately, who have lit up the studio with their gorgeous personalities!

It is always a pleasure to capture such a special time in a family’s life, and we love being able to show the different developmental stages of the babies, as often these little things don’t last for long! And amazingly we often see new behaviours happen right in front of our eyes! It is always amazing to see this – from the baby who is yet to roll over, who suddenly decides to do it in the shoot, through to capturing the first steps, it is always a privilege.

We really want to share with you some of this amazement, so feel free to have a bit of a look through the below gallery.

Completely smitten with baby Oliver and his range of facial expressions, which is why I think personally around the 6 month mark is one of my favourite times to photograph babies (although each stage is special in its own way!).

Just loving the cheeky expression on his face in the below shot, and love that he is grabbing onto teddy’s foot! Also a gorgeous detail (and good thinking from his parents Vanessa & Tim) is Oliver’s name and date of birth embroidered onto the teddy’s foot. Little things like this really help to personalise the photos and add a special touch.

baby Oliver

Oliver and his parents had many other gorgeous photos from this shoot, so be sure to have a look through to see his other adorable expressions (trust me, its worth it!)

[nggallery id=67]

If you would like to organise your own baby or newborn shoot with us, or would like to find out more information, feel free to contact us!

Page 9 of 22
←
1
...
8
9
10
...
22
→