Quick opinion needed...Tight or loose (football portraits)

[MJPhotos24]

Editing and I can't decide to keep full body or crop tighter, want to keep it consistent across all orders so looking for a little help if you'd take a second to let me know what you think. Tight cropping off legs making it closer to the kids faces or keep 'em full body?

#1 - full body...
http://www.knockoverrecords.com/TallTest-01.jpg



#2 - cropped...
http://www.knockoverrecords.com/TallTest-02.jpg



#3 - Full body...
http://www.knockoverrecords.com/TallTest-03.jpg



#4 - cropped...
http://www.knockoverrecords.com/TallTest-04.jpg

[Aaagogo]

i like the tighter crop better

[dmmiller]

Yup, got to agree with Aaagogo.. tighter crop. :)

[MJPhotos24]

thanks...the debate is raging on in my brain...leaning towards close but not all the way there so putting off cropping anymore till decided.

[HighPlainsPhotographer]

Cropped for me.

[jcpoulin]

Mike, I like the tighter crop with helmet and ball in #2 cropped. I didn't like cutting off the helmet. Full body loses the face features.......which is what Mom's want!$$

[MJPhotos24]

thanks...working on keepin as much helmet as possible and using it as kinda a cropping point on the shots they have it to the side...shoulda chose diff. pose options for them, the other poses besides that one are pretty easy at least.

[MJPhotos24]

ok....cropped for more helmet...better?

[khall]

I prefer closer cropping, with this sport how would it look in landscape?
Not keen on the shots cut off around his knees.

[MJPhotos24]

I prefer closer cropping, with this sport how would it look in landscape?
Not keen on the shots cut off around his knees.
yup...hate cropping at the joints. Some of these will be tough cuz thats just where the 5x7 crop are to keep everything in the upper body normal. The landscape doesn't work for this pose cuz then it just cuts off his arm.

[khall]

Thinking more about the cropping factor. I'm having second thoughts, from the customers point of view (generally mothers) they would like to show the print to friends and show them how much her boy has grown up and how tall he looks.

[MJPhotos24]

Thinking more about the cropping factor. I'm having second thoughts, from the customers point of view (generally mothers) they would like to show the print to friends and show them how much her boy has grown up and how tall he looks.
Well 3:30am and still going I got to the llittle kids, they work good full body cuz they are so small it's hard to crop when all you're cutting off just their feet so good to keep full body. The idea I had originally was to give them the "big/tall" look, but it didn't work out as planned on all kids so went with the tighter crop so far...cheerleaders were soooo much easier, now they all knew how to pose like they planned it in the mirror - oh wait, they probably did!

Live and learn, maybe this off-season will write up the good and bad I've found so far from shooting youth T&I in so many diff. sports so far. After handing these out next week will just hide in the corner and hope I don't hear "why'd he crop like that?" :)

[Dork Knight]

I would have to agree with others that number 4 looks good, however number 2 is a little awkward as shown in your latest crop.

It seems the helmet is too low to get in really tight.

[RonnieA]

Hey Mike -

I vote for #4 as well. Your second crop of #21 to include more helmets works too. Cropping at the knees in these does not bother me.

Forgive me for forgetting the correct name for this widget, but can't you buy a "viewfinder screen" that shows outlines for crop dimensions? Maybe one would help?

[namasste]

Mike, late to the party but yeah, crop em up. I think its all about the faces and parents are going to look at little else.

[dmwierz]

Mike,

I always like tight over loose, but one thing, I'd try not to crop right at the knees if I were you. Go a little lower (mid-calf) or a little higher (mid-thigh).

I've also done quite a few kneeling shots for football, when you can get the "whole" body in frame and still get really tight on the face.

DW

[gmen]

Hi Mike,

I certainly prefer the tighter crops as well.

I don't do a huge amount of these T&I type shoots but just a thought on backgrounds... might be worth shooting from a slightly higher viewpoint so that the grass forms the background for the image. I'm not sure that the trees add anything in the way that a stadium backdrop might? Also, with a cleaner background, you can stop down a wee bit more to ensure an even crisper, sharp subject.

Quick example shot when standing on a low stepladder... just adding about 18 inches of height. I was asked to make sure the track was obvious in the background so the little bit of height helped keep it clean-ish and let me stop down a bit:

http://www.tgsphoto.co.uk/forum_images/high.jpg

Alternatively, with a slightly lower viewpoint, you could use a nice blue sky for your background which might, in turn, add a bit of drama to the shot?

Again, another quick example:

http://www.tgsphoto.co.uk/forum_images/low.jpg

Just a thought. Feel free to ignore and apologies if slightly off-topic! :lol:

---- Gavin

[MJPhotos24]

Hey Gavin, long time no speak.

These were shot at f/2.8, did a couple at 2.5 but that was a bit too much. In print there seems to be more seperation than online. Maybe it's just my eyes playing tricks. The trees are, bla, I agree. The entire field is surrounded by them and there's no stadium to speak of - just some portable stands and a press box with a lawn mower parked under it. Behind me there's random trees and houses so that was a no-no.

After cropping four teams (3 football, 1 cheerleading) the thing that gets me most is the kids expressions or just posture - note all the cheerleaders though were perfect! There's a bunch I remember setting up and then when I went to take the pic they had changed it and didn't care (I heard that a lot - "I dont care"). I remember being that way and look back now at all my pics and hate them. Next year I'm hiring an assistant and will do things a little different.

[DaveL]

Hey all...

If you have a good newstand nearby, check out this week's
issue of "Baseball America". Mike's picture of Orioles prospect Matt
Wieters is on the cover...