Quick Tips:Cropping

By Jay Patel,on July 15th,2011

Does “One-Size-Fits-All”really make sense? I know I’ve made the mistake of buying a garment that claims to be OSFA –only to find that it sure as heck doesn’t fit ME! Of course,we can’t expect every image to fit neatly into the camera’s standard 2:3 format.

How often do you crop an image? Oftentimes nature offers up a display that just does not fit within the standard format of the camera. Rather than feeling confined by the frame the camera offers,consider cropping to make the composition more effective.

This panoramic image was created by cropping out the distracting,uneven foreground from the original image shown below. The waterfalls is the central point of interest –it stands out because it is brighter than the surrounding area. The foreground in the original shot adds little or nothing to the photo…in fact,it is somewhat distracting. A quick and simple crop removes the distraction,leaving us with an effective photo in an unusual,and attention-grabbing format.

Next time an image doesn’t’feel quite right in its 2:3 frame,see if a crop helps to make the image more effective. When it comes to photography,one size most definitely does NOT fit all.