The Digital Photography Book

Popular Tip for Framing Portraits

A very popular and modern way of composing portraits is to frame up the shot so you cut off the top of your subject’s head. This creates a very close-up, intimate portrait as your subject is nearly filling the frame. You’ll see this look everywhere today—on the web, in magazines, in ads—because it’s a very contemporary way to frame up your portrait. You don’t do this for every shot, of course, but when you really want to create that close-up connection, this can help do the trick. Also, it’s important to not just cut off a tiny bit of their head or it will look like a mistake, and you’ll hear a friend say something ...