CROPPING: THE PICTURE INSIDE THE PICTURE

A "busy" image sometimes lends itself to a number of good photographs through creative cropping. Depending on the story you are going to tell in the final picture, this example offers many opportunities. You are limited only by your imagination. This is what I did with it.

First, I separated my main center of interest from the frame by focusing on the colorful Yoga studio on the left side of the picture.

It's important to note before we begin that the best success in cropping comes with a perfectly sharp, high resolution photograph. Sometimes you never know at the start where you are going to find your most interesting interpretations of the frame, so a good exposure gives you the latitude your need to create. I can see many stand-alone opportunities in this photo---I'm sure you do too. Remember, there are no wrong answers--use your imagination!

This is the first one I saw that I felt would be interesting in itself.

There is a lot going on here, a lot of possibilities. You could crop on the letters, or perhaps the placement on the lights and the sign.

Or....perhaps something like this.

By getting rid of the color and enhancing the black and white, we have transformed a quiet afternoon street scene into a somber night visual reminiscent of a noir novel.

You are only limited by your imagination. Have fun with it!

I'd like to show you a few more possibilities. Here's another scene that could stand on it's own.

Makeshift carpentry, unpainted trim above the painted door, and the oddly shaped panel on the side looking out of balance with the trees on each side make for an interesting study of the "weirdness" that is Austin,Texas.

One more....we could go on and on....but you can probably find a lot on your own and hopefully look for subjects in your travels that would lend to artistic dissection.

I felt this sign deserved a prominence of its' own. The street department had to show all three and this was the best they could think of--I think it's ingenious. It shows to me in an expanding city like Austin there are still practical people who think by the "seat of their pants"--If it works, don't mess with it! (I wonder how many codes this would violate In Manhattan..)

Take the best pictures you can, but learn to look for the picture inside the picture---imagine what it would look like in black in white, view it in an unconventional size, and recognize the elements that would make it stand on its' own. Don't be afraid to take multiple exposures of subjects that peak your interest--remember, we don't have to buy film anymore.