To crop or not too crop

[Stiglet80]

I have been told I crop too much so I was after some advice, I was pleased with the below shot and I am going to get it put on canvas or block (as it is my son) but I want it to be right obviously. So would love to know what crop people prefer. And if there is anything else I could do it PP wise before it goes to print to improve it.








Thanks in advance

[Stevenj214]

As a picture I prefer the top one however number 3 looks like it would be amazing on a canvas.

[sinizter]

Stevenj214 said:

As a picture I prefer the top one however number 3 looks like it would be amazing on a canvas.

Same here.

All three work in this case, so this might not be the best example to critique your cropping.

[Stiglet80]

Stevenj214 said:

As a picture I prefer the top one however number 3 looks like it would be amazing on a canvas.

interesting point, I have never thought of them as seperate things.

Thanks

[Stiglet80]

sinizter said:

Same here.

All three work in this case, so this might not be the best example to critique your cropping.

Oh I have zillions of pictures to sample my potentially over cropping

And Thanks also

[Simpo Two]

Option 4!





(the blacks are a bit crushed for my taste but that's up to you)

[Stiglet80]

Ah interesting crop, although things like the watch not quite being in or out of the shot would bug me.

[Simpo Two]

Actually I hadn't noticed the watch! I inadvertently cut it into a perfect quadrant

My thinking was that I liked your no 2 version best, but found the bushes agsinst the sky a bit ugly. Crop those off and then there's not enough foreground for balance.

[Stiglet80]

Simpo Two said:

Actually I hadn't noticed the watch! I inadvertently cut it into a perfect quadrant

My thinking was that I liked your no 2 version best, but found the bushes agsinst the sky a bit ugly. Crop those off and then there's not enough foreground for balance.

Yeah, I agree about the bushes and the sky, in fact the whole sky bugs me as its blown out. And have seen the unbalance in foreground in the No2 picture now you mention it. I actually favoured number three because it bugs me he needed his hair brushing (Probably a girl thing) but feared I was over cropping again.

I used to think I was indecisive, now am not so sure.

[sinizter]

Stiglet80 said:

I used to think I was indecisive, now am not so sure.

Not just you.

I spend ages thinking about options to process/crop a pic, and then sometimes I end up using it as it is or leaving it till later as I couldn't choose.

[Stiglet80]

sinizter said:

Not just you.

I spend ages thinking about options to process/crop a pic, and then sometimes I end up using it as it is or leaving it till later as I couldn't choose.

I am pleased I am not alone

[Mermaid]

The 1st one for me, complete & with context.

[GetCarter]

Just clone out the watch. 10 seconds work.

3 or 4 for me (not interested in the background at all - in fact, it's a distraction).

I crop everything. In fact I take all my photos now knowing that I will crop. What one sees through a lens never looks the same on screen or paper. It only took me 40 years to work that out.

Edited by GetCarter on Saturday 11th June 15:23

[JSS 911]

3 for me,its all about the face and the bubbles

[Dogsey]

3 for me too, as above it's about the child and the bubbles, everything else is distracting.

[dblack1]

In general, when I crop, I use the golden rule/rule of thirds

Edited by dblack1 on Sunday 12th June 09:02

[Stiglet80]

Cheers for the feedback everyone, my thoughts was 3 as well but didn't want to over crop!

[Oldred_V8S]

Dogsey said:

3 for me too, as above it's about the child and the bubbles, everything else is distracting.

What the 2 posters said above. Number 3 is a cracking crop and has removed the distractions of the background in the other shots. A shallower DOF in the others would have resulted in a tougher decision. Good shot and as someone else commented a great canvas.

[Pixel Pusher]

Stevenj214 said:

As a picture I prefer the top one however number 3 looks like it would be amazing on a canvas.

I'm leaning towards 2, purely for the fact that it's a balance between too much background and too little. (Just IMHO of course).

Agree with the canvas idea though.

[tog]

Mermaid said:

The 1st one for me, complete & with context.

Me too. Third one is too tight on the left.