Making a good photo from a crop

[curtisl]

I have just been playing around with cropping a few pics and wanted to find out what you guys and girls thought of this



from this

[outlaw biker]

I would say "What story are you trying to tell?". A photo is like a book. It should tell a story, or emote a feeling. Its not a bad pic, but two things detract from it...your prescence (sorry) in the reflection, and the fact the highlights are bleached out. You could go for a much more severe crop with just the reflection of the seats and the gear numbers.

[curtisl]

I am not saying it's my best pic and yes i agree it's a shame i'm in the shot but it does go to show what pics you have lurking in your own photos

[outlaw biker]

I would photoshop yourself out of the pic (takes 2 mins) and if you shot in Raw you can probably quite easily recover the over-exposure.

[curtisl]

I am not that good at PS, should have a play about a bit more and same applies to RAW, i just haven't tried it yet. are the changes that you can make in RAW that drastic that you could rescue a bad pic?

[EmmaP]

I think the original shot is far superior - better composition, balance and subtle tones.

Cropping can indeed transform a photograph but attention still has to be paid to all the formal elements of composition.

[Scho]

i think i prefer the original?!

looks well lit and composed

[theRossatron]

I think I also prefer the original.

Nice 355 though.

[curtisl]

theRossatron said:

I think I also prefer the original.

Nice 355 though.

I agree. This shot was just me playing around, a bad example i suppose but the only one i had to illustrate my point. I just liked the way the interior reflection showed the centre console and seats

[stigmundfreud]

EmmaP said:

I think the original shot is far superior - better composition, balance and subtle tones.

Cropping can indeed transform a photograph but attention still has to be paid to all the formal elements of composition.

+1 origial looks so much better, 2nd one has lost any interest the first one had

[Goldeeno]

I like the idea. There are a couple of little bits. Im gonna have a play in PS with it now.. just cause im bored
The composure isnt bad, although when i see a gearshift with the machined base and no gator, i like to have that as the background. So i would have shot it for birds eye view so to speak... but im common

I think Slight adjustment in curves etc could highlihg the numbers on the ball, and a little bit of cloning to remove you

Nah not really a fan now ive had a play, how about a portrait crop with the shaft and H gate bit.

Edited by Goldeeno on Wednesday 25th June 14:58

[Simpo Two]

Flashback time. Back in 1982 the Young Simpo had a 2x teleconverter and a 3x teleconverter. He strapped them both onto his Vivitar 70-210 f3.5 Series One, thereby making a 1260mm fVery.Small. He took a photo of some landscape from his office window and later showed the resulting 6" x 4" print to the resident amateur tog (actually a beekeeper, but that's not important right now). Young Simpo was very proud of his achievement - I mean, how many millimeters can you cram into a 6" x 4" print? - but the tog looked at it and said 'It's not really a photo is it?'. I've never forgotten that, and he was entirely correct.

So, if you wait 26 years, what I just said may make sense And I don't even keep bees.

Edited by Simpo Two on Wednesday 25th June 22:19

[Scho]

Simpo Two said:

Flashback time. Back in 1982 the Young Simpo had a 2x teleconverter and a 3x teleconverter. He strapped them both onto his Vivitar 70-210 f3.5 Series One, thereby making a 1260mm fVery.Small. He took a photo of some landscape from his office window and later showed the resulting 6" x 4" print to the resident amateur tog (actually a beekeeper, but that's not important right now). Young Simpo was very proud of his achievement - I mean, how many millimeters can you cram into a 6" x 4" print? - but the tog looked at it and said 'It's not really a photo is it?'. I've never forgotten that, and he was entirely correct.

So, if you wait 26 years, what I just said may make sense And I don't even keep bees.

Edited by Simpo Two on Wednesday 25th June 22:19

have you been drinking?

[stigmundfreud]

Scho said:

have you been drinking?

I think the meds dont kick in until early evening



also a crop which I did to hopefully improve the overall balance without losing too much detail. Thoughts?

[curtisl]

Simpo Two said:

Flashback time. Back in 1982 the Young Simpo had a 2x teleconverter and a 3x teleconverter. He strapped them both onto his Vivitar 70-210 f3.5 Series One, thereby making a 1260mm fVery.Small. He took a photo of some landscape from his office window and later showed the resulting 6" x 4" print to the resident amateur tog (actually a beekeeper, but that's not important right now). Young Simpo was very proud of his achievement - I mean, how many millimeters can you cram into a 6" x 4" print? - but the tog looked at it and said 'It's not really a photo is it?'. I've never forgotten that, and he was entirely correct.

So, if you wait 26 years, what I just said may make sense And I don't even keep bees.

Great, what am i gonna do for the next 26 years??

I do understand that the pic doesn't have much substance or subject but i think i just got excited and caught in the moment because I zoomed in to a pic and saw myself in a gear stick!

[furtive]

This is a crop I've done from an otherwise nothing special photo:

[Simpo Two]

curtisl said:

I do understand that the pic doesn't have much substance or subject but i think i just got excited and caught in the moment because I zoomed in to a pic and saw myself in a gear stick!

Yep! No problem with that at all, you're seeing what your kit/pooting skills will do - learn by doing is good. Kittens play with string; then they eat lions. The seagulls follow the tractor etc.

Actually I think I'll get some lunch...

[curtisl]

Simpo Two said:

Actually I think I'll get some lunch...

And maybe stop drinking!!

[EmmaP]

I understand what Simpo is saying. Does that mean I'm mad?

[Simpo Two]

Yay!

Sometimes I'm just a philosophical old Simpo...