Cropping

[mosca]

Many photographs benefit from cropping; but how do you know how to properly crop?

I have two photos, very similar; for each one I'll post the original, then the crop, and why I chose each. I'd appreciate comments, and if anyone has anything to add, I'll pay attention.


Original:

http://www.proudphotography.com/forum/gallery/files/2/4/2/5/img_3320.jpg

Crop:

http://www.proudphotography.com/forum/gallery/files/2/4/2/5/img_3320_863761.jpg

I cropped this one off center because I like the look of the dynamic of the car trying to stay in the frame.


#2

Original:

http://www.proudphotography.com/forum/gallery/files/2/4/2/5/img_3321.jpg

Crop:

http://www.proudphotography.com/forum/gallery/files/2/4/2/5/img_3321_875532.jpg

Although the shot is very similar, the fact that the car has come around to fully face the camera has removed the dynamic of the first shot; in this instance, the motion is conveyed more by the angle of the wheels and the lean of the chassis. I think that the centered crop gives a feel of "disaster averted"; the car was coming right at the viewer, but has turned away at the last moment.

Opinions? Am I thinking about this properly, or am I just full of beans?

[coffee]

I think you did them very well. The first photo crop is outstanding I think. You took out what wasn't nessesary, and didn't add to the photo or composition.

The second crop is good also. I think unless I needed the subject that big in the second crop, I may have left both flag pole in the crop. I think they add to the story that this car is racing. But either way is good.

A job well done. :-)

[Benthic]

I agree, the first crop makes it look like the car is struggling to stay in the photo. I like it. The second photo is, to me, harder to decide upon. Because the car is now pointed straight at the camera it doesn't seem to convey the idea of motion as strongly as the first shot does. I'd have cropped it very similar to the way you did--but mostly just for purposes of removing the extra space around the subject. I like the first shot much better.

Just my $0.02.

Brian

[umajo]

i like the first crop as i was always told to crop more in in the direction the car is moving to give it direction does that make sense i will give a example if a person is looking to the left crop off the behind and keep in more to the left .. okay cofused you all now

[lisadaisy36]

I agree, the first crop is PERFECT! The only reason the 2nd crop isn't working as well is because you can't see the back panels of the car as much so it doesn't have that "tail end whipping" look.

[mosca]

Well, I have about 400 or so just like those...!

That's not even the nicest car; I picked the pair at random to show what I was thinking. I agree that the second crop isn't as interesting as the first. But lets take a look at what it could look like with a different crop....

1) Just a straightforward center crop; I think it's pretty nice, actually:

http://www.proudphotography.com/forum/gallery/files/2/4/2/5/img_3321_500258.jpg


2) Stretched a little to bring the poles into the frame; the car is more centered:

http://www.proudphotography.com/forum/gallery/files/2/4/2/5/img_3321___copy.jpg


3) Stretched a bit more. Part of what I'm after by asking, is that certain proportions of the frame are more pleasing than others. IMO this is too long for the height, centering of subject notwithstanding. Maybe it would be better though, if there were more interesting things going on in the dead space. I'm not sure.

http://www.proudphotography.com/forum/gallery/files/2/4/2/5/img_3321___copy__2.jpg


3) Subject on the other side of the frame. I think this is more interesting than all but the first, actually. But I intentionally squished it to show what I meant by unpleasing proportions; there isn't enough information putting the subject in the scene, but also the dimensions themselves are "ugly", I think.

http://www.proudphotography.com/forum/gallery/files/2/4/2/5/img_3321___copy__3.jpg

[mosca]

Here is a much nice car... mine! Of course, I'm not taking the picture, I'm driving. And notice, I'm not as fast (by about 15%) as the SRT driver. He's really good (as evidenced by the right rear wheel off the ground; this is autocross, not drifting). This is already cropped by the rules we've agreed on for the first photo; off center, leaning into the frame, and I captured just a little bit of the cone on the right to put the car in scene.

http://www.proudphotography.com/forum/gallery/files/2/4/2/5/img_3485.jpg

[mosca]

OK, here are a couple pictures that I think are kind of hard to crop. How about, anyone who wants to play along and have some fun... download them, crop them, and repost them. This guy is a really good driver, btw, one of the top 10 in the US. He was almost 10 seconds faster than me on a 30 second course (his best time was 24.999, my best time was 33.646).

http://www.proudphotography.com/forum/gallery/files/2/4/2/5/img_3409.jpg

http://www.proudphotography.com/forum/gallery/files/2/4/2/5/img_3410.jpg

[coffee]

Here is a much nice car... mine! Of course, I'm not taking the picture, I'm driving. And notice, I'm not as fast (by about 15%) as the SRT driver. He's really good (as evidenced by the right rear wheel off the ground; this is autocross, not drifting). This is already cropped by the rules we've agreed on for the first photo; off center, leaning into the frame, and I captured just a little bit of the cone on the right to put the car in scene.

http://www.proudphotography.com/forum/gallery/files/2/4/2/5/img_3485.jpg

I think this composition isn't the best it could be. with 3/4 of a cone, and the fence in the background looks distracting. I myself would take both of these out completely.

[mosca]

Thanks, I'll try it again and repost!

[mosca]

http://www.proudphotography.com/forum/gallery/files/2/4/2/5/img_3485_1.jpg

[coffee]

http://www.proudphotography.com/forum/gallery/files/2/4/2/5/img_3485_1.jpg

That I like very much yes. Had the cone been complete and the fence not be cut in half, the previous crop would have been one good possibility, but this, to me anyway, is so much better with what the original had to offer.

[LensBaby]

Yes I agree those items were distracting.

[mosca]

I would discard the first of the two pictures of the Civic as not as interesting as the second, and crop the second this way:

http://www.proudphotography.com/forum/gallery/files/2/4/2/5/img_3410c.jpg