JSFiddle - React, Tailwind, and code Playground

HTML

<div class="outer">
    <div class="inner">
        <span>
            <img src="http://www.hawaiianimals.org/monkey-5263_whitw_op_640x480.jpg" alt="" />
        </span>
    </div>
</div>
<div class="outer">
    <div class="inner">
        <span>
            <img src="http://ummahweb.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/z78.jpg" alt="" />
        </span>
    </div>
</div>
<div class="outer">
    <div class="inner">
        <span>
            <img src="http://www.och.lt/uploads/posts/2012-05/1337279564_podb_6.jpg" alt="" />
        </span>
    </div>
</div>
<div class="outer">
    <div class="inner">
        <span>
            <img src="http://xemanhdep.com/gallery/black_white_photos/black_white_photos26.jpg" alt="" />
        </span>
    </div>
</div>

CSS

div.outer {
    position: relative;
    float: left;
    width: 270px;
    height: 300px;
    margin: 10px;
    border: 1px solid #CCC;
}

div.inner {
    position: absolute;
    top: 50%;
    left: 50%;
    width: 168px;
    height: 198px;
    margin: -99px 0 0 -84px;
    overflow: hidden;
}
span {
    display: block;
    position: absolute;
    left: 50%;
    width: 1000em;
    height: 100%;
    margin-left: -500em;
    text-align: center;
}
img {
    height: 100%;
    vertical-align: bottom;
}