Engagement Photo crop help!

[CTdslr]

Hi everyone,

I took a few "engagement" photos today for practice, and I'm not sure how to crop this photo. This is my first try at engagement photos.

Here's the Original:


Horizontal Crop:


Vertical Crop:


Thanks!

[n8]

I think the horizontal crop is your best bet. If you can, try to blur up that background a bit. While I have 0 experience with taking these kinds of shots, one thing I've noticed is that those I have seen all seem to be done with pretty fast lenses to make sure the bg isn't a distraction.

[CTdslr]

It was taken at ISO 800 ~ 27mm ~ f/4.0 ~ 1/250s

I might be getting a nifty fifty tomorrow.

[n8]

I bet you could have gone down to 1/60s and gotten away with a lower (and cleaner) ISO. A nifty fifty is definitely the way to go. No rhyme intended.

[Anbesol]

One thing I find ineffective in engagement shots is head-to-toe cropping. I think the results improve tenfold by shooting very close from the beginning.

The PP on the color looks sort of false as well (on the second and third), I'd tone down whatever edit you are doing, or maybe try bending curves to achieve what you want instead. Also raising black point.

Also, I agree with N8, 1/250 is unnecessarily fast considering, and 27mm is never a flattering angle for the human shape, the widest I would ever shoot a portrait is 35 (unless specifically going for distortion). I would also recommend sticking with a nifty fifty. Nothing wrong with 1/250th, except when you pay for it needlessly with high ISO.

[CTdslr]

Thanks for the suggestions! I got my Mark I 50mm 1.8 an hour ago! I love it already. I'll be taking more engagement photos next Tuesday. Please keep the engagement photo advice coming! I can use as much as you can give!

[rebcastillo77]

I am no expert when it comes to engagment shots, but in my opinion you need to use a faster fstop to create a shallower DOF the background is a little overpowering for my taste. I think the horizontal crop is a better way to go but there is a lot of camera noise due to the ISO. I'd also like to have seen more of the groom to be's face so a slight change in your angle. just my two cents. Have fun with your 50mm that is tops on my shopping list!

[draymorton]

Second crop, no question.

[Chris350]

I'm going to second the Anbesol's advise, shoot em as you want to see the final image. Get as much detail in the frame as possible. Fill the frame with subject instead of extraneous background you're simply going to throw out. Next shoot as close to wide open as possible, to set off the clients against a smooth Bokeh backdrop. A fifty 1.4 is nice, an 85mm 1.8 is really nice too. Now drop your ISO, they're not moving, so there's no need to shoot at high shutter speeds. Next thought, add fill flash. It'll allow that blown sky to come down in EV by balancing the light to the faces and the entire image becomes more appealing. Lastly faces, you're capturing two peoples love for one another, so faces are critical to convey the emotion.

As to these examples, #2 is what I would be aspiring to, with or without the odd perspective of the buildings in the background. Wider F-stop and that becomes less of an issue.