Medium shot

Expression, upper body, hands, and some surroundings are visible.

Visual traits

• Waist-up extent
• Legible expression
• Room for gesture

Expected changes

• Expression and gesture are more likely to be legible
• The setting is more likely to remain supportive

Definition

It contains the subject at an intermediate range where expression and gesture are both readable. It differs from a face-only close-up and a full shot.

In more detail

It retains upper body, hands, and some setting while keeping the subject close. Viewpoint, composition, and lens remain separately selectable.

Includes

• A frame where a person or animal is legible from roughly the waist up

Excludes

• A face-only extreme close-up
• A full shot from head to feet

What this does not imply

• A particular viewpoint
• Centered composition
• A particular lens

Variability

The crop may vary among waist, chest, and knee according to subject and gesture.

Usage

• Keep a range where expression and gesture are both legible
• Specify viewpoint separately

Distinguish similar expressions

• Use full shot when the whole body should remain in frame

Typical uses

• Show a person's expression and gesture
• Show an animal's upper body and presence

Possible failure modes

• Moving too close to show only the face
• Pulling back too far to show the full body