How and why I crop my headshots like I do.
Ottawa Headshot Photographer and Headshot Crew Member Nathanael Campoli from Nathanael Campoli Photography
As an Ottawa headshot photographer, a bit of a hot question when clients contact me before getting the most fantastic photo of their face is “I like your photos, but can you not cut the top of my head off?”. They are scared they are only going to get the crop they see on my website. Although I do recommend that crop, I also know that it is not for every application in which someone might need a headshot for. So don’t worry, I include multiple crops of your headshot so you have more freedom to apply it where you need to.
On the left you will see 3 crops from top down 1, 2, 3
When digitally delivering your photos, I give multiple crops;
1- A wide landscape crop, if possible.
2- A wide square crop with even space away from shoulders, arms, and top of the head and-
3- My personal favorite, a close headshot crop where I chop a bit of the top of your head.
You will see this crop on my website and portfolio because I believe a headshot to be just that, a shot of someone’s head… well face but I’m not going to start calling it a “faceshot”. Then you might say “but the top of someone’s hair is part of their head!”. Well… yes but if you see someone’s bangs and the manner of their hairstyle, you can probably picture or imagine what the tip top of their head looks like where the hair just outlines their dome. To me, that is not important. What is most important are the eyes, and the expression we capture in the photo, which is all located on your face. We want to get close and engage the viewer into that expression. And the most expressive part of one’s face, in my opinion, are their eyes. After all, they are the windows to the soul! Another reason for this crop is that I like to crop the eyes just above center line to give viewer and subject equal “footing” or “power”, so the photo doesn’t portray someone as being more “important” or “superior”. This crop also helps bring out the natural symmetries in my subject’s faces.
Gone are the days of looking up or down at the camera! Subjects looking up at the camera just reminds me of a child asking their parents for candy or attention. To me it presents the subject as being very submissive and gives the viewer of the image a feeling of superiority. With the subject looking down at the camera reminds me of a dictator solidifying their position of power over their subjects. This was done a lot in the past with CEOs or “VIPs” to try and make sure everyone knew how “important” they were. Disgusting.
So, as you can see, there are quite a few reasons why I crop the way I do, and hopefully after reading this, you will also enjoy a nice close crop! To get the most fantastic photo of your face, book now at my Ottawa headshot photography studio!
Ottawa Headshot Photographer
Nathanael Campoli