The rules of cropping people?

I was just wondering what you guys thought about this crop which cuts off at the shin. Does this hurt the photo? I'm slowly transitioning into street photography and just trying to find my own style. I love this photo, but the shin thing kind of throw it off, no?

Given the distortion from using the wide lens up close the crop is fine.

what's bothering me is the foot on the right.

Same a rwmson - my eye went straight to the foot. Only then I saw the fiddle! Try a very tight crop to see what it looks like.

rwmson wrote in post #17788329
what's bothering me is the foot on the right.

yup.

i'd hit the foot at the ankle and let the shin fall where it may.

Left Handed Brisket wrote in post #17788432
yup.

i'd hit the foot at the ankle and let the shin fall where it may.

While the fiddler's cut off foot is bothersome, I think they're referring to the partial barefoot one. They both bother me.

bob_r wrote in post #17788482
While the fiddler's cut off foot is bothersome, I think they're referring to the partial barefoot one. They both bother me.

oh guess you might be right, I just saw that as "feet" not "foot"

for some reason I kind of like the bare toes in there, gives the photo a good sense of place. Technically it might not be the best but there are other reasons to include things in photos.

I think it works better as a portrait crop without the structure on the left. I don't mind the cut off leg or the feet.

cmh512 wrote in post #17788937
I think it works better as a portrait crop without the structure on the left. I don't mind the cut off leg or the feet.

I agree. One of my almost rules certainly guidelines is that unless the subject is looking there or moving there then crop it away.