How much do you crop

[markgozz]

One of the biggest problems I have is when I come to crop my images after all the PP is done with , I'm never quite sure how much room to leave around the subject . Do I crop in close to show the subject off to it's best or do I crop wider to show more of a story to go along with the subject , I have posted two versions of the same shot as an example the uncropped and my crop and I would be very grateful for any of your comments .

Mark

Uncropped




Cropped

[markgozz]

You see what I mean I'm doing it again . Now that I see my cropped version on here I don't like it so I've been back and cropped it again . ( I need help )

[donoreo]

That is entirely up to you (or your client if working for someone). it depends what you want to show in the photo, if cropping will make it "better".

I was always told to crop first, then do all the adjustments.

[KeithT]

Whatever it takes!

[donoreo]

See the pattern developing here? Of the two you posted, I like the more cropped version better. However, every photo is different.

[MattUK]

It's a balance. A lot of people who are asked to take a picture of, say, a dog will just crop really close, so all you see is a frame full of dog. Others will take a wider shot, and show the environment it's in, the beauty of its surroundings...

[jimmyosram]

My take on this Matt is that if there is movement in the shot, i.e. a car, running animal, you give space in the shot for the subject to move into. Other than that, if the rest of the photo tells the story of the subject, it needs to stay. If not crop.

If the area around the subject of a photo "talks" to the focal subject, the photo will work.

[deena]

I think cropping is a valuable tool, especially when looking through old photos. Concentrating on one particular area can completely transform and strenghthen an 'average' looking photograph. Im not sure of any specific technique, but I tend to just try different crops and go with the one that looks and 'feels' right (if any!!). I think one of the most important things is to look at your background and ask yourself if it adds anything to your subject, does it tell a story? I find this quite challenging sometimes. Saying that, I'm now trying to take more time when actually preparing for the photograph so that I get in right 'in camera'.

[MattUK]

Originally Posted by jimmyosram

My take on this Matt is that if there is movement in the shot, i.e. a car, running animal, you give space in the shot for the subject to move into. Other than that, if the rest of the photo tells the story of the subject, it needs to stay. If not crop.

If the area around the subject of a photo "talks" to the focal subject, the photo will work.

Agree Jimmy, and that's a good way of explaining it

[markgozz]

Thank you all very much for taking the time to reply to my question , I think deep down I new that this wasn't going to be straight forward but then again if it was easy it wouldn't be such fun . So to try and break it down a bit areas that don't add anything to the shot should be cropped but there are no hard and fast rules to it ,you can have a shot full of plain back ground but with just one small focal point in the corner that can be just as interesting as a shot full of action what looks right to you is what matters . I think the more experience I get with my photography and editing the more natural this will become , I do try to get as much right as I can at the time of taking the shot but a prime lens and a bridge with a 20 ft drop into the river stopped me with this shot of the Egyptian geese .