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Tuesday, December 12, 2006

cropping for the picture

Sometimes with digital cameras, you have a photograph (like the little version alongside here) that is good enough but not what it could be. With today's options in photo programs, tools that used to be only for professional photographers are at our fingertips. An original photo is a rough draft. It takes editing to bring out all that is possible.

As I wanted to get up snow pictures quickly on my blog, I did end up using this version. Pleasing snapshot, but it kept bothering me for assorted reasons. It had good basic elements, but the woman was working against the composition. What is the subject? Adding a figure to any photograph adds interest but also complicates the composition. Her dynamics seemed to be taking my gaze out of the photo and away from the scenic interest. Like a sentence structure that isn't quite smooth, it was not all it had the potential to be. Often the answer to this is cropping, and it's easy to experiment with various crops on the computer.

Sometimes composition can be controlled through the camera; but in this case, I took the original with auto-timer from a hay bale, not a tripod. I couldn't control composition. I could only choose the general elements I wanted.

Incidentally, when I take such a picture, when I work with it later, the figure isn't me to me. It's just a figure that is supposed to accomplish something for the final product. Although I took several that day that were more flattering, I found this one more interesting. Even though it presented problems in the composition, I liked the figure's sense of being poised for motion (which given how the photo was taken by timer happened to be accurate also). I liked the darker figure and lighter background. I didn't like how she looked away from the snowy scene and at the camera. To me, it conflicted the photograph.

Cropping it this way or that, I tried to keep all the elements but work it down to one subject. With her body language and looking away, it didn't work no matter what I tried. Finally I decided this was two photographs fighting against each other.

In the first, the fence post thrusts strongly into the sky, taking the eye up and into the center of the composition. It holds the photo together. In the second, the woman is now the center of interest and instead of her pose leading to unrest, it creates a dynamic element of country woman and snow. I like how the barn wall works with her hair to carry the gaze through the photo but no longer with unrest, rather the kind of circle, you always want to have happen.

Finally for fun, here is one last adjustment possible with today's photo programs-- the same photo in black and white where, to me, it does work as a whole
. I think black and white works partly because it brings out the design of the snowy tree branches behind the figure, tying the elements together. To stop the eye from wandering out of the picture where the roof was, I drew a small, black border, similarly to using a mat with a framed work.

When a person has the time, it is fun to play with a photo, experiment with its composition and create something new-- taking it beyond the
casual snapshot.

(To fully view photos, click on to enlarge.)

9 comments:

Diane Widler Wenzel said...

This post has great critical effort using new technology in photography. With these tools you can literally create your own artistic expression. I like all the variations. The first one has a mysteriously dark figure ready to move. The close up is a lovely portrait. By the way I think it does look like you. The black and white is artistic and the figure is related more closely to the landscape because they are both the same in coolness vs.warmth.

Sandy said...

Being a lover of photography and trying out old and new things alike you have covered alot in one article! My family are all interested in photography and if I take the time (hopefully soon?) I would love to start posting pics in my blog, we'll see. You are right about the black and white pictures. Sometimes the scene or person or just one object in the photo can be enhanced being in b&W format. It is fun just to play with the programs that are available as there are SO many things you can do nowadays.

OldLady Of The Hills said...

Lots of Fun, Rain...I don't use a lot of enhancements in my photo's but I do crop sometimes...again, not that often...But I love the way you isolated each of the sections maling each one a whole new picture...plus, I LOVE Black & White...GREAT!'

FYI: I do feed Sweetie a dry food that has Hair Ball Control...but he eats lots of other stuff, too...Still, I think it has helped to some degree of the years...

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the quick lesson. It is amazing what a real novice like me can do with even a low-end program like I use (Adobe PhotoShop Elements).

The emphasized role of the background tree branches in the B&W is amazing. I also noticed immediately when scrolling down to it that I felt colder. Even after several looks and going back and forth, it still has a much colder feel to it. Or maybe there is a warmth from the color shots and just an absence of warmth in the B&W.

Anonymous said...

Rain I just aim and shoot. :)

robin andrea said...

I love how you experimented with the photo. You know I do that all the time, trying out different tools to attain a specific look. You have an artist's eye, so you know what you are going for, and your photo work really shows it. Beautifully done.

Anonymous said...

I thought all the photos were great. And how I wish I had the time to edit, etc. Intereting post.

Anonymous said...

Opps...I'm sure you know, but....that was "interesting" I think I'm on "fast forward"....lol Busy time of year.

Suzann said...

I just love the snow --- how beautiful. I just point and shoot - it would be fun to play with editing.
Thanks for the small tutorial.