This week’s Compose Yourself Photo Challenge (CCY) Theme is Cropping. As of January 2016, this challenge runs on the 2nd and 4th week of each month. Challenges will be open for two weeks.
For your weekly assignment I would like to see at least 4 cropped photos showing the before and after results. Please describe what you learned in this lesson as well.
Each week I will select several features from everyone who submits an entry. And from those posts that I feature, I will grant one blogger the Gold Star Award. To find out who was awarded the Gold Star Award and Features for this week, please see CCY Features Week #14 Symmetry.
Note: Participants who do not have at least 4 photos showing their attempt at this week’s topic in their post will not be featured nor be considered for the Gold Star Award.
Essay
Cropping – My Most Powerful Tool
My favorite and most powerful tool is cropping. Rarely do I publish a photograph that isn’t cropped, at least a little. Cropping can take a mediocre photo and make it good, and a good photo and make is great. Not always. But it is true more of the time then not.
Cropping is the first step in really being creative with your photography. You don’t have to know how to do fancy post-edits or have expensive software. Cropping can dramatically change the feel of a photograph with little time, effort and money expended on your part.
Here are some handy rules for effective cropping:
- Take multiple shots, especially if there is a lot of background noise in the picture. Tighten your focus for one shot. Move out a little for the next, then a little more. Digital memory is cheap, so use it to your advantage. You can never predict what is a picture that you can crop to more dramatic effect, so give yourself plenty of “canvas” to work with.
- With digital cameras, always have your resolution set to fine detail. You want to grab as many pixels as possible, so that you can crop a picture down to a quarter of its original size, for example, and still have beautiful detail.
- When cropping, remember your Rule of Thirds and the other ideas of good composition we’ve been talking about. Think about what you want your subject to be and how to highlight it, then crop the picture to get things just the way you want them and WHERE you want them.
Now let me show you where I’ve done some cropping and let you know my thinking during the editing process.
In this photo of MacKenzie I thought she was just so adorable. I happened to have my camera next to me and I knew if I got up and walked to get a close up shot of her, she would move. So I settled for a photo that had a lot of “noise” in it. I knew I could crop this photo because my camera was set for a fine resolution. This photo was taken about 7 years ago with a Sony Point and Shoot.
Here is the cropped version.
When taking photos of seagulls that are flying, or in this case looking for food Chris was throwing out, it is hard to capture them in a good spot on your photo. So I tend not to zoom in too closely and if I get a clear shot, I can then crop to what I feel gives me the best photo.
Here is my final result.
In my first two photos I made some dramatic crops. In this photo of with the woman’s hand spinning, the crop wasn’t as significant, but I think there was a dramatic difference, because it really focus on the strength and artistry of her hands. Note that the bobbin on the spinning wheel on the right bottom corner is spinning quite fast.
Here is my final result.
Chris took this next photo with her wide angle lens on her Nikon D60. She loves the wide angle effect. I did the post processing on this photo. Chris decided she wanted to crop the cars and she wanted the Astoria Column more centered. Although the Column still looks a little off because she took the photo at a slight angle, if you follow the side walk.
Here is here results.
Here are some other examples that I found. Simply click on any photo to see them full-sized.
Horse
Old Barn
Deranged Charlie
Upcoming Challenges
- #16 Complementary Colors (starts 2nd Wednesday of February)
- #17 Contrasting Colors (starts 4th Wednesday of February)
- #18 Geometry (starts 2nd Wednesday of March)
- #19 Balance (starts 4th Wednesday of March)
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Cee
Cee's Photo Challenges 
Great cropping examples!
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Thanks Amy.
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Your cropped seagull shot is just stunning.
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Glad you like the seagull. They can be fun to capture.
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Your cropping on all of these makes such a difference! I love the photo of deranged Charlie – so cute!
I don’t do much cropping because I can’t crop off much without losing image quality. I was excited to read what you said about setting your camera to fine resolution because I thought that might solve my problem. But I checked and it’s already on fine.
I’m going to have to do some research and play around a bit to see if I can get more crop-able images.
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What kind of camera do you use?
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The Sony a5000, the entry-level mirrorless. Maybe it’s just doing the best a camera for under $500 can do!
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I really enjoy myself and I used to a lot and your challenge had me doing more.
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I’m glad to hear that. Thanks for playing with us.
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Yo no tengo ni idea de fotografía y cámara es una de esas digitales pequeñas y planas tan grande como mi teléfono móvil, de 14 pixels y buen tiene un poquito de zoom, modo automático para hacer las fotos (que es el que utilizo) y modo manual para que fijes tú los parámetros. Aparte de esto es adorable la foto del bulldog durmiendo. Me gusta mucho el primer plano de la gaviota. Gracias Cee. margarita141
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Gracias.
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Great examples. I especially love your dog in the pillow and the seagull. But they are all great and fine examples of how to make the pictures what you want it to be.
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Fortunately I learned early on to pull back and leaving me a little more canvas to work on. I think what helped me was doing floral macros. I needed the space to get the center of a flower where I wanted it. Plus I tend to be real steady taking photos, so I could zoom in and still get a sharp macro.
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Fabulous croping tips. I especially love the person spinning yarn.
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I have that photo up in my living room as a 2×3 poster. Thanks.
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Marvellous!! These are some really great tips, Cee!
Will sure use them up in my work, though not as great as yours, but will use it.
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You will get as good as me with practice. Just have fun Hammad.
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Thanks, Cee!
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http://christiandequita.com/2016/01/28/cees-compose-yourself-photo-challenge-2/
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seems for once I am running behind schedule lol, here’s my post for this week https://juliepowell2014.wordpress.com/2016/01/29/cees-compose-yourself-challenge-week-15-cropping/
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It’s amazing what a difference cropping makes!
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It can be a powerful tool. Thanks.
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Here is Michelle Lunato’s entry.
https://michellelunatophotography.wordpress.com/2016/01/29/cropping-multiple-pictures-in-one-place/
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Here is a link to my contribution to this week’s challenge http://musinwithsusan.com/2016/02/01/cees-compose-yourself-challenge-cropping/
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You might guess that the seagull and your baby are my favorites…Amazing how clear and unblurred the seagull is!!! I’ve been shooting and cropping since I first saw your prompt, but haven’t had time to post–plus kept losing the pics. My earlier problem with the photos not being saved in my photo library was solved by Apple support staff, then once again, a few days later, the same problem reappeared. It turned out that the first time it was caused by some glitch in photos but the second time it was my fault–because I was trying out my new underwater camera and the date was set wrong so they were filing them with pictures from over a year ago. I never would have figured this out!! Amazing that two separate things in a 4 day period would be responsible for the same malfunction. A coincidence. So, hope it is okay to post a few more crops!! Must be harvest time. http://judydykstrabrown.com/2016/02/02/new-crop-net-yield/
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That is strange to got hit twice by some weird things. Glad you could figure it out. I like your harvest time wording. 😀
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Great tips on this one.
You can crop and highlight the message that you want to convey!
Wonderful.
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Thanks so much for commenting. Glad you like my tips. 😀
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I especially needed the tip on the bird I flight; thanks.
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I love the way cropping changes a photo completely. Off course, it has got to be well done, like yours. I really like the photo of MacKenzie, the cropped version has such good composition with the “V” the pillows make.
Here are my cropped pics – http://wp.me/p2hIFV-1×0
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When I see your dramatic crops – like the seagull – there is a real wow. Yet, it’s something I rarely think to do. Great lesson, Cee 🙂
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Thanks Joanne. Cropping is my favorite composition editing tool. 😀
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Mine too 🙂
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Hi Cee! Here is my entry:
https://rluphoto.wordpress.com/2016/02/05/cees-compose-yourself-photo-challenge-cropping/
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I am learning and it is fun, but I could not write the details. Thanks:)
https://mukhamani.wordpress.com/2016/02/05/cees-compose-yourself-photo-challenge-15-cropping-tips/
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Your animals are so cute, especially up close. Love that seagull! This challenge was harder than expected, thank you for the lessons I learned this week Cee.
https://125mileradius.wordpress.com/2016/02/07/cees-compose-yourself-challenge15-cropping-tips/
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You are welcome.
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Here are my entries for this lesson
https://norasphotos4u.wordpress.com/2016/02/07/cees-compose-yourself-cropping/
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Hi Cee.
Thank you for this post about cropping. I use cropping as my main editing tool because my hands shake so much when using a long lens I find it easier to take wide angle shots, less shake, and crop. However,, and this may say something or a lot about me, I have never heard camera club members talk about cropping and in three years of blogging it is the first post I have read about cropping.
Again thank you.
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Cropping can really change a photo. I’m learning your trick about taking a more wide angle. A good lens can hand it. You are so right. I love cropping, obviously.
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Topic for the future, perhaps: What is a good lens? f/stop, focal length, zoom or brand? If you have already written about this, the link will do 🙂
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Now that is something I haven’t really talked about. That is an interesting idea though. Thanks. I’ll add it to my list.
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