When to crop

I have had mixed opinions. How must I determine when doing a portrait if I crop in camera and cut the top of the models head? Really getting mixed messages, "do it" "don't do it"

So, you are saying you like the "style" of portraits with the top of the heads sliced off?

That's not my "style", so rather than give you an opinionated opinion, I guess a "middle of the road" idea would be to take the fully-framed portrait, then decide in post-processing whether the "sliced off" look would appeal...?

mdaddyrabbit wrote in post #16720156
How must I determine when doing a portrait if I crop in camera and cut the top of the models head?

You must determine based on your creative desire in regard to a particular portrait/subject. In other words you need to learn what effect a particular crop will have and then decide if that is the effect you/your subjects wants for a particular portrait.

Do not forget that there is the issue for camera aspect ratio vs. print aspect ratio to resolved as well. You need to keep in mind that the 3:2 aspect ratio of the camera image would need to be cropped if you want to fill an 10"x8" print, and cropped yet again differently for the 7"x5" print. So composition in the camera needs to be done in a manner in which the flexibility of post processing additional cropping to fit the needed print size is possible in an acceptable manner.

Shoot loose, crop in post. That way, when the model wants an 8x10 instead of an 8x12, you still have plenty to work with, you don't have to chop off an extra inch of forehead.

Purists will tell you "know exactly what final output you want, and compose in the camera for precisely that format" ... but those purists don't have clients who change their minds halfway through the process.

nathancarter wrote in post #16721802
Shoot loose, crop in post. That way, when the model wants an 8x10 instead of an 8x12, you still have plenty to work with, you don't have to chop off an extra inch of forehead.

Purists will tell you "know exactly what final output you want, and compose in the camera for precisely that format" ... but those purists don't have clients who change their minds halfway through the process.

Those purists also do not have clients who want 10"x8" as framed portraits for a bookshelf or to give to grandma, or perhaps a 7"x5" for the desk, or a 14"x11" for the wall...all from the same shot.

Wilt wrote in post #16721823
Those purists also do not have clients who want 10"x8" as framed portraits for a bookshelf or to give to grandma, or perhaps a 7"x5" for the desk, or a 14"x11" for the wall...all from the same shot.

Don't forget about the 1:1 for their Instagram!