Cut off at the ankles!!!! Why?

[AutumnCurl]

Hi,

I am currently at that age where every person I have even met is getting married, and we are always going to wedding!

Of course one of my favourite parts is seeing the wedding pictures when the newly weds get them back from the pro photographer...so lately i have notice that a trend seem to be when taking wedding shots is...

Cutting the photo at the ankle... now ive seen 3-4 different wedding have this with totally different photographers.

So the shot is say of a bride and bridesmaid and the lower 3rd finishes just above the ankle. - i would take the shot with the shoes in it resolved by stepping back a foot or zooming out.

its too often to be an accident.

what do you think ? Personally it drives me mental.


Also not to happy that a good friends photographer didn't notice bright orange bunting in the back ground!!!!! argghh

[arthurking83]

I think the answer is simple. The experience level of the photographer .. that's it.

I think the pressure nowadays is for the tog to produce half a billion images for the couple as many people equate bulk with good value for money.
So rather than filter out the flotsam, or take care in composition it's just easier to shoot like mad send them all the images so that the sheer volume overwhelms them, and they don't notice the cut off ankles and bright orange bunting backgrounds, coz what's important is that they got 1094 images for the day!

[Analog6]

I'd agree - it's just bad and inattentive photography

[Bennymiata]

I think it's important that the shoes be shown, especially for women.
When they go back and reminisce about the day, they want to be able to see their outfits and the shoes!

[JM Tran]

Hi,

I am currently at that age where every person I have even met is getting married, and we are always going to wedding!

Of course one of my favourite parts is seeing the wedding pictures when the newly weds get them back from the pro photographer...so lately i have notice that a trend seem to be when taking wedding shots is...

Cutting the photo at the ankle... now ive seen 3-4 different wedding have this with totally different photographers.

So the shot is say of a bride and bridesmaid and the lower 3rd finishes just above the ankle. - i would take the shot with the shoes in it resolved by stepping back a foot or zooming out.

its too often to be an accident.

what do you think ? Personally it drives me mental.


Also not to happy that a good friends photographer didn't notice bright orange bunting in the back ground!!!!! argghh

Well, Saturday's big wedding just passed I shot both full length body and half body/close ups, there are many reasons why sometimes a photographer needs to crop in closer - external variables which affect the photos like things around the ground which might subtract from the overall image quality etc. Also for diversity sake. But cutting off at the ankles or kankles is quite weird and silly. Any chance to see these photos?

My biggest stoush currently are wedding photographers on full frame cameras using any given 24-70, and shooting full body length shots at any of that given focal length without coming lower to the ground - as this always resorts in distortion of the body and u get the big torso/short legs syndrome u see in a lot of bad wedding photos.

Kate Moss' wedding photos online recently, shot by famed fashion photographer Mario Testino, the non formal ones of guests - are all distorted to hell - I have met him in person and hes a 6 foot guy, but u know, at least you coulda put some effort into it and come down a bit lower!

At least it wasnt cut off from the ankles though.

[Longshots]

I find that the issue of this type of composition, or poor composition is down to an intriguing guilty party, and that is the area for focus points.

Focus point often influence photographers these days, with many using the focusing points, and then forgetting to recompose.


So IMHO, apart from what could be odd composition selection, or sloppy photography, my feeling is that the instigator of this fairly recent (last ten years) is influenced by auto focus focusing points.

[kiwi]

Interesting observation, probably some done even know how to do AE/AF Lock

Yeah, drives me nutso too

[AutumnCurl]

Id love to show some photos, however they are no mine to post... some of them are like as JM mentioned torso shots - its like trying to take a torso shot but leaving in to much bottom. There is also a a lot of DOF shots like the bride is gazing off out a window ( very nice) however a plant in the foreground is blurred out but the shape of is distracting or over shoulders

I would accept that the photographer was inexperience or something, however the weird shots are mixed in with such stunning ones. and its not just one wedding either.

I think if i was ever to do weddings i might get a tattoo on my arm that has check boxes and asks if i have checked the background etc just so i see it everytime i bring my camera to my face

[kiwi]

I understand what you're saying re backgrounds but sometimes in candids when the moment has an emotional tag you just cant wait to recompose or to repose.

[Dylan & Marianne]

I understand what you're saying re backgrounds but sometimes in candids when the moment has an emotional tag you just cant wait to recompose or to repose.

agreed entirely - the shots with distracting elements aren't acceptable if they are the set up shots /format family portraits etc. However, candid shots of a moment that just happened and there happens to be something distracting in the background ? I think it's better to have captured the moment rather than not shoot because of the distracting factor. I personally find the celebrant a huge distraction in any 'you may kiss the bride' shot but getting them to move - I've only had luck with getting celebrants willing/remembering to move at the right time!

[darkbhudda]

I suspect the photographers don't have a wide enough lens eg using a 70-200 for everything. Could also be a trend they are all copying.

I was doing very tight framing on a couple of shots recently which looked fine but ended up cutting off the edge of a shoe. I make sure and give the frame a little breathing room from now on and haven't had the problem again.