Cropping Off the Top of Their Head

SCOTT KELBY

This is the next step past “Don’t leave too much room above your subject’s head” in portraits. In this composition technique, you actually cut off the top of your subject’s head, and while that probably sounds weird reading it here, it’s a very popular pro technique that fills your frame with your subject’s head. Getting in tight like this makes for a very compelling look, as you see above, and now that it’s been brought to your attention, you’ll see this composition technique is everywhere and has become the mainstay of many top fashion, beauty, and portrait shooters. (Note: Although it’s perfectly fine to cut off the top of their head, or side of their arms, shoulders, hair, etc., you shouldn’t cut off their chin. People are actually very used to seeing the top cut off and it looks natural, but seeing a shot where the chin is cropped off makes for a very uncomfortable composition.)