Here’s a quick design tip on working with photos from issue 43 of Before&After Magazine.
A portrait close enough to convey eye-to-eye contact should be cropped at eye level, which is about two-fifths of the way down the page.
Note that the closer you zoom, the more intense the connection becomes.
Up and away: Because distant objects appear higher in a visual field, as you zoom out, move her eye level toward the top.
CreativePro members can download original content from Before&After Magazine, a beloved resource that taught a generation of newly minted digital designers how to design and communicate effectively with the written word. See our archive here.
© John McWade/Before&After Magazine, courtesy of Gaye Anne McWade.
This article was last modified on January 3, 2026
This article was first published on January 3, 2025
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