Why Crop Photos?

What story do you want your photo to tell?

You probably already know I love road trips, adventure, the outdoors and photography. My blog is simply impressions of the days I can be out and about.

I call them my field trips.   

I do not pretend to be a professional, and generally use a look and shoot mentality with a mission in mind. Editing photos allows me to experiment, and dial in to shape a vision I may have had.   

Experimentation is fun.  There is no right way, or wrong way.  Personally, I like to work with a duplicate photo so I can compare the edited version with the original.  And while not always possible, I prefer images with high resolution.  

There are numerous compositional tools in photography and cropping is one way to enhance a photo.  The majority of my photos are cropped, by choice. It empowers me to move the center point of the photo, frame an image, or just find a way to create interest with my preferences in mind.  

Why Crop?  

To Remove Distractions:  Taking out background noise helps draw the eye where you want.  It also creates more impact. The first photo is clearly at a rest area near an outhouse and the parking lot.  When the background is cleared, you notice how the little girl is completely engaged in her book. I like that it feels more like a park setting and the fence seemed to just show up.  

For More Impact: Look what happens when you zoom in on the subject.  The butterflies are lovely, right?

Did you notice the clear-winged butterflies?  If not….let me help.

To Improve Composition:  I like to implement the Rule of Thirds in photos to create more interest. In the first photo the balloon is almost center. While there was some editing of shadows,  the new image feels more balanced even with the balloon off-set.  

For Story or Content Reasons:   The first photo shows the sheer size and open space compared to the hiker.  Maybe initially, you didn’t even notice the person.   

To make a point there seems to be more curiosity about the person, than the landscape. My preference is the first in this scenario.   What do you think?  

To Enhance the Expression or Emotion:

Thank you for the inspiration Patti.

Wind Kisses, Donna