diff --git a/src/pipeline/crop_utils.rs b/src/pipeline/crop_utils.rs
index 03f27d3..ec74da8 100644
--- a/src/pipeline/crop_utils.rs
+++ b/src/pipeline/crop_utils.rs
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ use crate::error::{Error, Result};
 use crate::immich_api::FaceData;
 use crate::pipeline::BoundingBox;
 use image::imageops::FilterType;
-use image::{DynamicImage, GenericImageView};
+use image::{DynamicImage, GenericImageView, RgbImage};
 
 /// Result of cropping a face from an image.
 pub struct CropResult {
@@ -60,34 +60,27 @@ pub fn crop_face_with_intermediate(
     let center_x = (x1 + x2) / 2;
     let center_y = (y1 + y2) / 2;
 
-    // Calculate crop bounds, clamped to image dimensions
-    let crop_x1 = center_x
-        .saturating_sub(crop_size / 2)
-        .min(img_width.saturating_sub(crop_size));
-    let crop_y1 = center_y
-        .saturating_sub(crop_size / 2)
-        .min(img_height.saturating_sub(crop_size));
-
-    // Ensure we don't exceed image bounds
-    let actual_crop_size = crop_size.min(img_width - crop_x1).min(img_height - crop_y1);
-
-    if actual_crop_size < 10 {
+    if crop_size < 10 {
         return Err(Error::ImageProcessing("Crop area too small".to_string()));
     }
 
-    // Crop the face region (full resolution)
-    let cropped = img.crop_imm(crop_x1, crop_y1, actual_crop_size, actual_crop_size);
+    // Ideal crop region centered on the face (may extend outside image bounds)
+    let ideal_x1 = center_x as i32 - crop_size as i32 / 2;
+    let ideal_y1 = center_y as i32 - crop_size as i32 / 2;
+
+    // Crop with replicate-fill: always keeps the face centered by extending
+    // edge pixels at image borders instead of shifting the crop window.
+    let cropped = crop_with_replicate_fill(img, ideal_x1, ideal_y1, crop_size);
 
     // Resize to output size
     let resized = cropped.resize_exact(output_size, output_size, FilterType::Lanczos3);
 
-    // Calculate the face bounding box in crop coordinates
-    // These are the original face coordinates relative to the crop origin
+    // Face coordinates relative to the crop origin (face is always centered)
     let face_rect = BoundingBox {
-        x1: x1.saturating_sub(crop_x1) as f32,
-        y1: y1.saturating_sub(crop_y1) as f32,
-        x2: x2.saturating_sub(crop_x1).min(actual_crop_size) as f32,
-        y2: y2.saturating_sub(crop_y1).min(actual_crop_size) as f32,
+        x1: (x1 as i32 - ideal_x1) as f32,
+        y1: (y1 as i32 - ideal_y1) as f32,
+        x2: (x2 as i32 - ideal_x1) as f32,
+        y2: (y2 as i32 - ideal_y1) as f32,
     };
 
     Ok(CropResult {
@@ -96,3 +89,33 @@ pub fn crop_face_with_intermediate(
         face_rect,
     })
 }
+
+/// Crop a region from an image, filling out-of-bounds areas with replicated edge pixels.
+///
+/// When the crop region extends past the image borders, edge pixels are repeated
+/// (e.g., column -1 uses column 0, column -2 uses column 0, etc.).
+fn crop_with_replicate_fill(img: &DynamicImage, x_offset: i32, y_offset: i32, size: u32) -> DynamicImage {
+    let rgb = img.to_rgb8();
+    let (w, h) = (rgb.width() as i32, rgb.height() as i32);
+
+    let out = RgbImage::from_fn(size, size, |px, py| {
+        let sx = replicate_coord(x_offset + px as i32, w);
+        let sy = replicate_coord(y_offset + py as i32, h);
+        *rgb.get_pixel(sx as u32, sy as u32)
+    });
+
+    DynamicImage::ImageRgb8(out)
+}
+
+/// Clamp a coordinate into the valid range [0, len) using replicate/edge boundary.
+///
+/// For a dimension of length `len`:
+/// - Coordinates in `[0, len)` map to themselves.
+/// - Negative coordinates clamp to 0.
+/// - Coordinates >= len clamp to len-1.
+fn replicate_coord(c: i32, len: i32) -> i32 {
+    if len <= 1 {
+        return 0;
+    }
+    c.clamp(0, len - 1)
+}
diff --git a/src/pipeline/steps/head_pose.rs b/src/pipeline/steps/head_pose.rs
index f0f7ddd..89c3990 100644
--- a/src/pipeline/steps/head_pose.rs
+++ b/src/pipeline/steps/head_pose.rs
@@ -69,87 +69,53 @@ impl Point3D {
     }
 }
 
-/// Draw a 3D cube where the back face is the face bounding box
-/// and the cube projects forward based on head pose
-fn draw_3d_cube(
+/// Draw 3D pose axes (RGB = XYZ) from face center, rotated by head pose.
+/// This is the standard visualization for head pose estimation.
+fn draw_pose_axes(
     img: &mut RgbImage,
-    x1: i32,
-    y1: i32,
-    x2: i32,
-    y2: i32,
+    cx: f32,
+    cy: f32,
+    axis_length: f32,
     yaw: f32,
     pitch: f32,
     roll: f32,
 ) {
-    // Calculate face center and size
-    let cx = ((x1 + x2) / 2) as f32;
-    let cy = ((y1 + y2) / 2) as f32;
-    let width = (x2 - x1) as f32;
-    let height = (y2 - y1) as f32;
-    let half_w = width / 2.0;
-    let half_h = height / 2.0;
-
-    // Depth of the cube (how far it projects forward)
-    let depth = width.max(height) * 0.8;
-
-    // Define 8 vertices of the cube
-    // Back face = face bounding box (at z=0)
-    // Front face = projected forward (at z=-depth, negative means towards camera)
-    let vertices = [
-        // Front face (closer to camera)
-        Point3D::new(-half_w, -half_h, -depth),  // 0: top-left-front
-        Point3D::new(half_w, -half_h, -depth),   // 1: top-right-front
-        Point3D::new(half_w, half_h, -depth),    // 2: bottom-right-front
-        Point3D::new(-half_w, half_h, -depth),   // 3: bottom-left-front
-        // Back face (face bounding box)
-        Point3D::new(-half_w, -half_h, 0.0),     // 4: top-left-back
-        Point3D::new(half_w, -half_h, 0.0),      // 5: top-right-back
-        Point3D::new(half_w, half_h, 0.0),       // 6: bottom-right-back
-        Point3D::new(-half_w, half_h, 0.0),      // 7: bottom-left-back
+    // Define axis endpoints (origin at 0,0,0)
+    // X axis (red) - points right
+    // Y axis (green) - points down (image coordinates)
+    // Z axis (blue) - points out of screen (towards camera)
+    let axes = [
+        (Point3D::new(axis_length, 0.0, 0.0), Rgb([255, 0, 0])),   // X - red
+        (Point3D::new(0.0, axis_length, 0.0), Rgb([0, 255, 0])),   // Y - green
+        (Point3D::new(0.0, 0.0, -axis_length), Rgb([0, 0, 255])),  // Z - blue (negative = towards camera)
     ];
 
-    // Apply rotations (order: yaw -> pitch -> roll) and project to 2D
-    let focal_length = width.max(height) * 2.0;
-    let rotated: Vec<(i32, i32)> = vertices
-        .iter()
-        .map(|&v| {
-            v.rotate_y(yaw)
-                .rotate_x(pitch)
-                .rotate_z(roll)
-                .project(cx, cy, focal_length)
-        })
-        .collect();
+    // Negate roll and pitch to convert from model convention to image coordinates
+    // (image Y-axis points down, model assumes Y-axis points up)
+    let focal_length = axis_length * 2.0;
+    let origin = Point3D::new(0.0, 0.0, 0.0)
+        .rotate_y(yaw)
+        .rotate_x(-pitch)
+        .rotate_z(-roll)
+        .project(cx, cy, focal_length);
 
-    // Define edges (pairs of vertex indices)
-    let edges = [
-        // Front face (cyan - closer to camera)
-        (0, 1), (1, 2), (2, 3), (3, 0),
-        // Back face (green - face bounding box)
-        (4, 5), (5, 6), (6, 7), (7, 4),
-        // Connecting edges (yellow)
-        (0, 4), (1, 5), (2, 6), (3, 7),
-    ];
+    for (endpoint, color) in axes {
+        let rotated = endpoint
+            .rotate_y(yaw)
+            .rotate_x(-pitch)
+            .rotate_z(-roll)
+            .project(cx, cy, focal_length);
 
-    // Draw front face in cyan (brighter)
-    for &(i, j) in &edges[0..4] {
-        let (x0, y0) = rotated[i];
-        let (x1, y1) = rotated[j];
-        draw_line(img, x0, y0, x1, y1, Rgb([0, 255, 255]));
+        draw_line(img, origin.0, origin.1, rotated.0, rotated.1, color);
     }
+}
 
-    // Draw back face in green (face bounding box)
-    for &(i, j) in &edges[4..8] {
-        let (x0, y0) = rotated[i];
-        let (x1, y1) = rotated[j];
-        draw_line(img, x0, y0, x1, y1, Rgb([0, 255, 0]));
-    }
-
-    // Draw connecting edges in yellow
-    for &(i, j) in &edges[8..12] {
-        let (x0, y0) = rotated[i];
-        let (x1, y1) = rotated[j];
-        draw_line(img, x0, y0, x1, y1, Rgb([255, 255, 0]));
-    }
+/// Draw an axis-aligned bounding box (no rotation applied).
+fn draw_axis_aligned_rect(img: &mut RgbImage, x1: i32, y1: i32, x2: i32, y2: i32, color: Rgb<u8>) {
+    draw_line(img, x1, y1, x2, y1, color); // top
+    draw_line(img, x2, y1, x2, y2, color); // right
+    draw_line(img, x2, y2, x1, y2, color); // bottom
+    draw_line(img, x1, y2, x1, y1, color); // left
 }
 
 /// Draw a line using Bresenham's algorithm.
@@ -353,15 +319,21 @@ impl ProcessingStep for HeadPoseStep {
             .get_computed(computed_keys::FACE_RECT)
             .and_then(|v| v.as_face_rect());
 
-        // Draw 3D cube where the back face is the face bounding box
+        // Draw axis-aligned face bounding box and 3D pose axes
         if let Some(rect) = face_rect {
             let x1 = rect.x1 as i32;
             let y1 = rect.y1 as i32;
             let x2 = rect.x2 as i32;
             let y2 = rect.y2 as i32;
 
-            // Draw 3D cube with face box as back face
-            draw_3d_cube(&mut debug_img, x1, y1, x2, y2, pose.yaw, pose.pitch, pose.roll);
+            // Draw axis-aligned bounding box in cyan
+            draw_axis_aligned_rect(&mut debug_img, x1, y1, x2, y2, Rgb([0, 255, 255]));
+
+            // Draw 3D pose axes from face center
+            let cx = (x1 + x2) as f32 / 2.0;
+            let cy = (y1 + y2) as f32 / 2.0;
+            let axis_length = ((x2 - x1).max(y2 - y1) as f32) * 0.6;
+            draw_pose_axes(&mut debug_img, cx, cy, axis_length, pose.yaw, pose.pitch, pose.roll);
         }
 
         // Draw text background bar at bottom for pose values