Crop

[Fog Maker]

Quite few People on this forum seem to love to crop their images.
I never understood this. For me compostion and capturing the right
moment goes hand in hand. If I fail at either, the photograph means nothing
to me.

Why do you crop?

(Graphic designers and editors love to mess with just about everything they get their hands on, even when it doesn't make any sense, but that is another story...)

 

[WT Jones]

--
Warren

 

[gipper51]

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/essays/und-crop.shtml
--
Check out the new site:
http://www.gipperich-photography.com
Or the portrait gallery:
http://www.pbase.com/gipper51/portraits

 

[Brad Durack]

I crop because i can. It can add value to my digital files

When shooting a wedding you don't always have the luxury or the time to get perfect composition.

In my opinion, your attitude towards cropping only limits your own ability, such a philosophy could easily result in missing the moment while your so busy composing to perfection.

my 10 cents

Quite few People on this forum seem to love to crop their images.
I never understood this. For me compostion and capturing the right
moment goes hand in hand. If I fail at either, the photograph means nothing
to me.

Why do you crop?

(Graphic designers and editors love to mess with just about everything they get their hands on, even when it doesn't make any sense, but that is another story...)

 

[Gearóid Ó Laoi Garry Lee]

--

If you don't crop then how will you do a 16:9 shot on a digital slr. I don't crop all that much but some photos demand it

Níor bhris focal maith fiacail riamh (Irish Gaelic)
A good word never broke a tooth.

 

[oysso]

I agree, if you have time to compose when taking shots all the time.

But for action, and unexpected situations you just don't have time to compose. Have to take shot first , and compose later.

but if you are going to frame the picture in other aspect rations than 3:2, then you will have to crop too .
Always.

 

[PhilH]

Somebody just asked me about this as well.

I loathe cropping, but I do love certain aspect ratios.

Overall I tend to like more of a "widescreen" effect, which is likely due my motion picture background.

Here are some aspect ratios I really enjoy:
3:2
1:1
4:5
16:9
1.85:1
2:40:1
2:1

Oddly you'll notice that the very common 3:4 is not in there. I prefer 1:1 when framing or going wider if I'm looking at that composition. 3:4 is often too subtle for me.

When composing with an aspect ratio crop in mind I'm essentially framing to the edge of the frame on the left and right and attempting to visualize the negative space on the ceiling and floor of the image. I try my best to avoid cropping into the frame to avoid loss of detail/resolution. That certainly is a sticky proposition when it comes to 1:1.

The other solution for me is to just shoot with an anamorphic lens and avoid cropping all together.



But that's a whole different bag of worms.

--
Phil Holland - http://www.phfx.com

 

[hotdog321]

Jut posted my opinion in your previous, identical, post.

 

[gipper51]

Why crop? Because not every image is meant to be in the 3:2 format that my camera spits out. Sometimes a square format is best for a partitcular image, sometimes it's a 3:1 panorama format. The "right" crop for an image often presents itself, and is usually not what the camera is preset to.

Most paper sizes are not 3:2 format so you need to crop if you are sizing to a standard paper or frame size. 22x28, 16x20, 11x14, 8x10, 5x7...all of these are common frame sizes in the US, and none of them are 3:2 aspect ratios.

To paraphrase Michael Reichman: "Just because Oskar Barnack decided nearly a century ago to use 24x36 as the size of the film for his camera system does not mean all of my images need to follow his chosen aspect ratio."
--
Check out the new site:
http://www.gipperich-photography.com
Or the portrait gallery:
http://www.pbase.com/gipper51/portraits

 

[Fog Maker]

Somebody just asked me about this as well.

I loathe cropping, but I do love certain aspect ratios.

Overall I tend to like more of a "widescreen" effect, which is likely due my motion picture background.

Here are some aspect ratios I really enjoy:
3:2
1:1
4:5
16:9
1.85:1
2:40:1
2:1

Oddly you'll notice that the very common 3:4 is not in there. I prefer 1:1 when framing or going wider if I'm looking at that composition. 3:4 is often too subtle for me.

When composing with an aspect ratio crop in mind I'm essentially framing to the edge of the frame on the left and right and attempting to visualize the negative space on the ceiling and floor of the image. I try my best to avoid cropping into the frame to avoid loss of detail/resolution. That certainly is a sticky proposition when it comes to 1:1.

The other solution for me is to just shoot with an anamorphic lens and avoid cropping all together.



But that's a whole different bag of worms.

--
Phil Holland - http://www.phfx.com

Funny you should mention that, since my own background is in filmmaking as well and still counts for about 75 per cent of my 'imaging' income (However, some 15 years ago an author friend of mine asked me to have a go at a portrait for his upcoming book, the publisher liked it and all of a sudden I found myself doing stills on a frequent basis...) Maybe that shared background has something to do with it. Anyway, I share your sentiments regarding aspect ratios and use different grid solutions to get it right, but never after the fact

 

[Fog Maker]

Jut posted my opinion in your previous, identical, post.

Sorry, the double post was of course not intentional.

 

[DotCom Editor]

1. Because you can't get close enough to fill the entire frame
2. Because you're shooting fast-moving sports and if you did attempt to fill the entire frame you'd inevitably cut off hands, feet, or heads
3. Because you actually have a creative mind and in post-processing decide that a judicious crop makes for a stronger photo

But, as you so noted, cropped photos mean nothing to you. So I guess what I wrote is worthless.

 

[Fog Maker]

1. Because you can't get close enough to fill the entire frame
2. Because you're shooting fast-moving sports and if you did attempt to fill the entire frame you'd inevitably cut off hands, feet, or heads
3. Because you actually have a creative mind and in post-processing decide that a judicious crop makes for a stronger photo

But, as you so noted, cropped photos mean nothing to you. So I guess what I wrote is worthless.

You sound hurt lol

 

[Keith Reeder]

You sound hurt lol

And you sound elitist, arrogant and pretentious.

Step out of your comfort zone and opens your eyes, then you wouldn't have to ask stupid questions like this one.

 

[zxaar]

Quite few People on this forum seem to love to crop their images.
I never understood this. For me compostion and capturing the right
moment goes hand in hand. If I fail at either, the photograph means nothing
to me.

Why do you crop?

Just to irritate you. If I fail to irritate people like you then the photograph means nothing to me.

--
::> I make spelling mistakes. May Dog forgive me for this.

 

[wateaman]

Fog Maker-

A agree with you, 100%. How ethical is it to interrupt nesting eagles because you don't have a 1200/5.6? Oops, Canon quit making that lens. I probably crop at least 90% of my wildlife pics.

But I suspect folks who "never crop" don't hike the remote ridges to get these kinds of pics. So they simply can't relate to certain types of photography. Balds (and no doubt, goldens) see you before you see them if you are moving. When I "stalk" a nesting site I don't go within 150 yards. And at 150 yards, they start to watch you. Unethical to bother mom, dad and the kids.

Yeah, I crop with my 5D2 and 100-400. And even with the 100% view crop, the birds are small. But I sleep OK at night too, knowing I'm not screwing with with birds for whom life is tough enough without idiot photographers getting w/in a 100 feet just to get a pic. It's all about ethics.

I already posted about the Canon telextenders not doing well with this lens at 400mm, in case other folks are wondering. Yeah, it works for some people, but I extensively tested the 1.4 II and it was unaaceptable. Sort of a fussy guy, I guess.

Wateaman in Montanaland

A used 1200/5.6 with a 2X would probably be perfect. Maybe for Christmas.

 

[amobi]

This is the same Guy who defends crop cameras to death and now claiming he doesn't crop. I wonder why they call some cameras crop camera. This thread is pure garbage. Some people like to come here and brag like they know better than others.

How can anyone claim they don't crop especially one that uses a crop camera.

Anyone who claims that they don't crop is either lying or have no clue what they are doing . I don't care how long they have been in the business.

 

[carlk]

You meant to tell me there is one and only one composition for every take? Why don't you post some of your pictures I'm sure I or someone else can do some crop to make them look better, or at least to make them to have a different presence that you never thought possible.

 

[carlk]

Crop camera... crop an image.... lolol....amobi why you have to outdo yourself everytime in making stupid remarks?

This is the same Guy who defends crop cameras to death and now claiming he doesn't crop. I wonder why they call some cameras crop camera. This thread is pure garbage. Some people like to come here and brag like they know better than others.

How can anyone claim they don't crop especially one that uses a crop camera.

Anyone who claims that they don't crop is either lying or have no clue what they are doing . I don't care how long they have been in the business.

 

[amobi]

Carl you are the dumb ass. You supposed to be ignoring my posts. I still maintain my point. Anyone that uses a crop camera in my book should not claim they don't like to crop.

This thread doesn't even make sense to begin with because any sensible person knows that OP is lying. Of course people like you will believe him and try to argue with him because that is what you do best.

Please do not respond to me because I'm tired of arguing with you.

You meant to tell me there is one and only one composition for every take? Why don't you post some of your pictures I'm sure I or someone else can do some crop to make them look better, or at least to make them to have a different presence that you never thought possible.