I guess today I feel kind of tight…keep seeing cramp spaces in photos. Give some briefing space to your subjects so those viewing don’t feel boxed in.
To me there are few types of photos that catch attention. Tight photos do force the person to see the photos but after a while, it don’t hold the eyes because it gets too uncomfortable to stay and look.
Think about it this way, when people come visit you during CNY, once the house gets tight, no one feels like staying longer. Too little people, it feels too cold and people leave too.
So getting the subject in the right size is also an art in itself as the photographer has to balance leaving out distractions and yet need the space so the photo don’t overwhelm. Am still practicing this myself.
Of course with everyone cropping in post, it is that much easier. However it is a good skill to get very close to the crop that you want if there’s a way to do it. I of course won’t ask you to stand 5m in front of a wild tiger or lion, or try to creep towards the birds but for most subjects one can get in close.
This is one element that people should always try to get used to it. Shoot people as close as possible instead of sniping at 500mm. Shoot close with a wider lens gives intimacy and shooting with a tele feels like one is doing surveillance like paparazzi.
Even though there are now super huge MP sensors to help you crop, I would try to get as much data into the frame as I can. Cropping away means throwing away the data too. Too much and the photo degrades.