Which cropping looks better?

Image1

Image2

[Lindsey]

I know this also is not an answer to the question, but the coloring in the second picture is better too. 

[Johnson]

Did you post in the wrong thread? Those two images were created from the same image...

Both are black and white... no coloring at all...

I think you are referring to Ian's poll about the 3 videos... in that one, in the second image... I used a split tone effect (if you are referring to the B+W image where Ian and Mark look like thugz)

[Lindsey]

Did you post in the wrong thread? Those two images were created from the same image...

Both are black and white... no coloring at all...

I think you are referring to Ian's poll about the 3 videos... in that one, in the second image... I used a split tone effect (if you are referring to the B+W image where Ian and Mark look like thugz)

I meant to post in this one, but I forgot that there were only two images in this one.  So technically, it is in the wrong place.  But yes, that is the image I was referring to.  Don't mind me, it's been a while since I had any sleep. 

[Johnson]

S'Ok... I figured it out. I just drank coffee before bed, because I'm silly in the head.

[Lindsey]

S'Ok... I figured it out. I just drank coffee before bed, because I'm silly in the head.

Bwahahaha you started rhyming.   

[Puke]

I'd like to see the pic of Ian and Mark in front of the "Welcome to NH" sign maybe get used...

They should get a new photo done.

[Johnson]

Hiring a good photographer is normally pretty expensive... I dunno... Paul and Elizabeth Wright look pretty affordable...

[Puke]

Hiring a good photographer is normally pretty expensive... I dunno... Paul and Elizabeth Wright look pretty affordable...

I wasn't suggesting hiring someone. There are several of us around here that can snap a decent pic.
Those B&W photos could have been taken by most anyone. There is no backdrop, the lighting is natural, maybe a fill flash or a bounce card, it's outside.
Unless they wanted a cheesy looking studio photo.

[Johnson]

Hiring a good photographer is normally pretty expensive... I dunno... Paul and Elizabeth Wright look pretty affordable...

I wasn't suggesting hiring someone. There are several of us around here that can snap a decent pic.
Those B&W photos could have been taken by most anyone. There is no backdrop, the lighting is natural, maybe a fill flash or a bounce card, it's outside.
Unless they wanted a cheesy looking studio photo.

Most people don't have 8-10 megapixel cameras. A 3 megapixel, even a 5 or 6, really doesn't cut it for print work. I'd also talk about the difficulties of posing, and lighting conditions, and all that... but I'm not a fantastic portrait photographer, and for most of the shots I took great pics of Ian, but horrible pics of Mark... so, I can't too any horns there. I'd say MAYBE you could get some good pics... If whoever is taking them owns a 8-10 megapixel camera... then.. yea, probably. If you've spent more than $600 on your camera then you likely take the time to take some good photos. I've studied more about how to pose people in front of the camera simply BECAUSE of Mark.

You guys haven't even seen some of the incredibly GAY looking shots I took... Mostly because I was used to posing and staring at shots of WOMEN... and hadn't done much work with male portraits.

[Puke]

I have a NIkon D-200. I have never posed any portrait shots before. The ones I took in Iraq I just followed the guys around for a couple hours and took a lot of shots. I don't know any of the "right" ways of doing it. Just trial and error. I have never tried to do two people at once either.
The hardest part would be arranging a time and place and hoping that the weather cooperates.

[AntonLee]

The former, and tell the guys to quit smirking.

I actually agree.  It's funny that they're smirking in opposite directions, though.

I thought that was pretty funny too. When I saw it I tried to smirk the other way, and I really can't.

I like the first as well, but I also agree that I liked the Welcome to NH signs best.

[Phant]

In the first one, Mark looks like a gay hooker and Ian looks like his pimp.  In the second one, it looks like they both are about to gang-rape the viewer.

You need new pictures.  With Julia.  And more rural NH background.  How about the three of them riding horses or something... 

[Taors]

Yeah, isn't this photo like two years old?

[Johnson]

Over two years... I believe....

Essentially, from my portrait posing research, I've got the posing boiled down to 7 basic rules to posing a good portrait...

1. Make sure the face is never turned away from the main light.

2. Make sure the shoulders, waist, and hips are never squared off to the camera.

3. Make sure the arms are never posed in contact with the side of the body.

4. Make sure the chin is never lowered to a point where it diminishes the catch lights in the eyes from the main light.

5. Make sure the spine never forms a vertical line and the shoulders never form a horizontal line in the frame.

6. Make sure to never have an expression on YOUR face you don't want to have on the client's face in the portrait.

7. Women tend to greatly subconsciously respond well to portraits of men in which the head is tilted fairly sharply... HOWEVER - Never tip a man's head to the high (feminine) shoulder as he will look feminine. Women's heads can be tipped toward either shoulder, but the feminine shoulder is more appealing.

There are a few other tricks for making subjects look slimmer and what not, but those seem to be the basic rules that are followed in the best portraits...


Now, some people may like the gay head tilit... but it's pretty obvious what it does...

[rabidfurby]

Now, some people may like the gay head tilit... but it's pretty obvious what it does...

If you're going to start posting shit out of your gay porn stash, you should mark the thread as NSFW.