Crop Study
A photographer submitted this image and asked what would be the best way to crop. I can answer that with two questions. What can you eliminate and where do you want the center of attention placed.
In the original image the near shore with the tree and the land carries the most graphic weight. Our attention is first concentrated on the land then we proceed to the lake and then to the far shore. I feel the tree is dominate and pulls the balance to the left.
Crop number 1 has eliminated the near shore completely and we are drawn to the flying birds first then the shore with the man. Crop number 2 has a portion of the near shore with the egret pointing our attention to the flying birds and then the man. In crop 3 the egret is detached from the land and has equal weight to the remainder of the image, still important but more in balance with the man. And finally the fourth crop has the man as the dominate subject.
Each image tells a different story. Each is a valid image. It is the photo-artist who must decide which one, if any, they want to present to the viewer.
Click on Image
Crop #3 
Crop #4 
March 6th, 2008 at 3:31 pm
Make that six crops altogether L.O.L. since the first was also cropped. I think I really like how you cropped leaving a slight bit of land with the Egret and works well. I still feel unsatisfied with it. Funny how we will work something to death sometimes. until you realize nothing is going to work. Time to move on
Thank you sooo much! big HUGS!
March 7th, 2008 at 8:45 am
Like I said in the last line “It is the photo-artist who must decide which one, if any, they want to present to the viewer.”
March 10th, 2008 at 8:12 pm
Just got back from Big Sur. I think my problem is I don’t seem to like any of them enough to really pick any one. I will look and review this image later, so I can review it with a refreshed look. I am excited to review some new images I took this weekend. Green Rolling hills all the way up to Monterey Jim. It was gorgeous. A Must take drive. A sweet sunset at one of the locals favorite beaches in Big Sur was one of my highlights for my Birthday. I told Richard it was like birthday candles lit the sky just for me. I haven’t even looked at them yet. But I am off to look.. HUGS!!! P.S. all crops worked wonderfully. Except I did not care for the one where the birds feet are cropped.