What the crop? Part 3: body parts
When cropping people the general rule is to try to avoid cropping hands, feet and joints. When you crop at those points the image looks unfinished or haphazard, so try to crop between the joints. Here is a run down of cutting up bodies that would have Hannibal salivating.
cropping feet = big no no
cropping between feet and knees looks more deliberate and acceptable
cropping between knees and hips is usually ok too, but notice in this example that the shorts and the lines on the socks create visual tension with the frame. Not the best crop.
cropping the hand is usually another no-no
cutting off the entire hand but leaving the other intact is mo’ better
If you need to crop the elbow…Â less is not better… feels like an accident
cropping between the hand and elbow feels better… for the viewer 😀
cropping above the hand but missing the elbow is workable
Above the elbow below the neck feels comfortable to the eyes
The one exception is the shoulders… you need to leave something for the head to rest on, otherwise it can look a little creepy with just a neck and head.
So try to be aware of where you are going to crop body parts so that you can avoid unnecessary tension… and happy cutting!