Do you like the photo full-size or cropped?

Hi all.

There is a competition "Angered Subjects" and I have a decent shot with my Oly from our trip to Morocco, but was curious as to your C&C about the full or cropped version.

One has better context, but the other has more emphasis on the "angry subjects".

Full:





Cropped:





I appreciate the feedback.

Cheers,

Jeff

I would do a square crop and also straighten the scene.







--
Mark

Jeff, I like something like this







--
br, john, from you know where
My gear list and sordid past are here: https://www.dpreview.com/members/1558378718/overview
Gallery: http://canopuscomputing.com.au/gallery2/v/main-page/

I agree with Mark, the square crop works... It keeps the context but better frames all the elements in the shot.

I too like the crop better, and even more the tightest square crop shown. In this case I don't think the context adds anything to what the photo is about, and the full image doesn't immediately make the point about the little boy's facial expression.

What great image to have captured!

Maggie

I like the cropped version. Just that now I can't vote for it, because it's no longer anonymous.

All the best Jeff and love the look on that face ;-)

Danny.

JaKing said:

Jeff, I like something like this



--
br, john, from you know where
My gear list and sordid past are here: https://www.dpreview.com/members/1558378718/overview
Gallery: http://canopuscomputing.com.au/gallery2/v/main-page/

Click to expand...

I like cropped but I like it cropped like this. This is the story.

Cropped, even tighter nails the brief and the adults just distract from that.

The full-sized one initially grabbed my eye to look down the tunnel and wonder where the adults were going (despite their backs) before i even noticed the kids.

Cropped, took my eye straight to the wee guys angry face, made me smile and wonder why. Very nice )

Thank you all for the comments.

I think you're right: especially given the theme of the Challenge, the "story" is these two kids and their response to being part of the photo of my friends. A tighter crop is the best way to tell that story.

I've had such a good experience with my m43 gear and this board - the few times I've submitted something I have received good, constructive feedback that hopefully pushes me to be a better photographer. Thanks again!

Cheers,

Jeff

That is the common amount you want.

What does the extra background add to the photo? IMHO nothing to the kids, so it is taking away from the kids then.

I can see the phone/power lines there or something, and what they add to the two kids with the faces and emotions?

The wooden support beams are interesting as the architecture, but they add nothing to the kids faces and emotions, but only to the location.

The group of adults behind adds that everyone is backs toward the kids, moving away. Giving impression like they are "walking away" from them, or that kids has turned away from the group for some reason.

But your crop is heavy anyways, as the cropped version leaves only really two elements to the photo, two kids and then group. And suddenly the under step water drain pipe becomes a third element, and draws attention. But it doesn't add anything to the kids, so it is taking away from it.

So I would do a closer a square cropping. Crop the yellow part of the top. Leaving the kids, group and the doorways on left/right intact. Now you have a three elements.

1) Kids with faces and emotions with movement toward viewer.

2) Group of people going somewhere else (conflict of motion of the kids)

3) Doorways to sides, offering "a way to go somewhere else".

If your subject is the kids, then your crop could be made little tighter as it is emotional tie to the kids, instead anything around them (and edit the pipe etc).

If your subject is something that happened and part of the place, make more square.

If your subject is the whole place (architecture, history etc) then don't crop.

Competition images tend to be favored where there is interesting context. I find the tight crop with just the two boys to be leaving me with wanting more context. The legs in the background are more of a distraction than showing the entire group of people walking away.

Mark's crop above is much more visually compelling and gives the viewer a tension between the obviously calm people walking away vs. the two emotionally charged boys walking toward the camera. The elements in his version do not distract from the subject, but add drama to it.

I've judged print competitions a number of times, and I would definitely choose Mark's crop over the others if I were judging this.

Cropped. Hard to see the facial expression in the other image. To me that is what makes the image.

--
Camera in bag tends to stay in bag...

daddyo said:

Competition images tend to be favored where there is interesting context. I find the tight crop with just the two boys to be leaving me with wanting more context.

Mark's crop above is much more visually compelling and gives the viewer a tension between the obviously calm people walking away vs. the two emotionally charged boys walking toward the camera. The elements in his version do not distract from the subject, but add drama to it.

Click to expand...

I have done a number of versions... first a really close, square crop - this really exaggerates the boys as subjects, but I agree with what you wrote, that it's a little one dimensional.

So I ended up submitting a crop a bit tighter than Mark's recommendation, but basically at that perspective. Thanks daddyo and Mark and all others who gave me a lot to think about and challenge me.

Honestly, these are the things that I need to get better at assessing WHILE taking photos (better composition up front) rather than after the fact. Again, this was very helpful and I appreciate everyone's input.

Regards,

Jeff

As the OP knows the boys do not want to be photographed. Whether intended or not, it is clear they feel their boundaries have been overstepped by someone from (assuming) a foreign country. Absent this apparent violation, the composition is good.

ahrensjt said:

Hi all.

There is a competition "Angered Subjects" and I have a decent shot with my Oly from our trip to Morocco, but was curious as to your C&C about the full or cropped version.
One has better context, but the other has more emphasis on the "angry subjects".

Full:



Cropped:



I appreciate the feedback.

Cheers,

Jeff

Click to expand...

I prefer the image cropped a bit but not so much I would keep a rectangular crop including more of the background . Whilst still emphasizing the boys { who look like they are junior Mafia trainees } I would go for something like this







--
Jim Stirling

JaKing said:

Jeff, I like something like this



--
br, john, from you know where
My gear list and sordid past are here: https://www.dpreview.com/members/1558378718/overview
Gallery: http://canopuscomputing.com.au/gallery2/v/main-page/

Click to expand...

This crop eliminates unnecessary distractions, and immediately draws out attention to the personal interaction of the two boys.

Very nicely captured, and the best luck to you in the competition!

--
-Dennis W.
Austin, Texas

Gary from Seattle said:

As the OP knows the boys do not want to be photographed. Whether intended or not, it is clear they feel their boundaries have been overstepped by someone from (assuming) a foreign country. Absent this apparent violation, the composition is good.

Click to expand...

Gary, I have no clue how do you know what OP knows. I guess in Morocco folks are not so sophisticated about their privacy.

Moreover, I do not care. Why should I see (and comment) on faceless backs tourists and "old city" decorum which take most area of the photo?

Regards

S.

--
Camera in bag tends to stay in bag...