Cat whiskers..ok to crop?? - DPChallenge Forums

Canon EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO IS USM

02/03/2008 09:43:53 AM · #1

What is the best rule of thumb when cropping a pet photo? Can the whiskers be cropped? Looking for hints i.e. on people don't crop at a joint, etc.

I'm trying to enter my Camera Club's Pet portrait competition..(just for ribbons like DPC) but anyways, I can't get rid of the shower curtain (her favorite place to play!) without losing some of Mitzi's whiskers....Is this a no-no?
Need to crop to 8x12...if I go landscape it cuts the bottom ones off....

Or should I start from scratch?

original
[thumb]641698[/thumb]

cpanaioti

Canon EOS-40D

02/03/2008 09:47:27 AM · #2

If you can't get a crop closer to the shower curtain to include more of the whiskers then maybe a reshoot but from a position a little more to the left so the shower curtain isn't as much in the way.

I think some portraits of pets will work even if the whiskers are slightly cut off however in the crop here I think too much has been taken out.

Apple iPhone

Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 EX Aspherical DF for Nikon

02/03/2008 09:51:34 AM · #3

it HAS to be 8 x 12?
if you can crop it to 8 x 10 you can get more of the whiskers in ...

Message edited by author 2008-02-03 09:56:17.

cpanaioti

Canon EOS-40D

Canon EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO IS USM

02/03/2008 09:55:22 AM · #4

... or just reshoot trying to incorporate the shower curtain into the shot.

Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L USM

02/03/2008 09:56:56 AM · #5

well it has to be on a 16x20 mat.....no set rule for 8x12 but that is what everyone enters....kinda like here if we don't use the proper size it loses points...

do you have a different idea on a crop?

I probably can reshoot, I just thought it was a great expression...it was difficult teasing her the shower curtain and clicking the shutter!!

Falc

Canon EOS-1D Mark III

02/03/2008 10:06:40 AM · #6

I would reshoot especially as you could do with a deeper DOF to keep as much of the face in focus. The lighting is also flat which could be handled by using a window as the single light source. Just some thoughts. The image isn't really a winner as it stands.

cpanaioti

Canon EOS-40D

Canon EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO IS USM

02/03/2008 10:09:43 AM · #7

Originally posted by cpanaioti:

.... crop closer to the shower curtain to include more of the whiskers ....

raish

Olympus C-2500L

Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.4D

02/03/2008 10:11:34 AM · #8

[thumb]641706[/thumb]

Doesn't help much does it?

ClubJuggle

Canon EOS-400D Rebel XTi

Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM

02/03/2008 10:14:14 AM · #9

Personally, I'd reshoot.

I played with this for a while (including something similar to what raish tried) and can't come up with anything worthwhile. Also, as the shot stands the cat looks to have an almost angry expression, and I can see your reflection in the cat's eyes.

I'm honestly not trying to be harsh, just honest. I think the time you would spend trying to save this photo would be better spent reshooting.

~Terry

02/03/2008 10:24:14 AM · #10

Thank you ALL for the help......
The 'intense' look is typical of Mitzi...while I thought it was a good shot, I got up this morning saying "I have to ask DPC"...

Thanks...This is for a small local camera club and probably 'is' winning quality.....but not only the level I want to achieve. I do well at club but have to hide here... :-)

Thanks....I will try to reshoot.....

02/03/2008 10:43:44 AM · #11

Actually, you CAN do this, with the skew tool, here's a screen cap showing the adjustment:

Image>edit>transform>skew

Of course afterwards you will then crop the image to your satisfaction etc etc.

R.

Message edited by author 2008-02-03 10:43:52.

02/03/2008 10:56:47 AM · #12

wow Bear...I didn't know that....I have Elements, but I will go look for that technique.....and this a very helpful hint for even future mistake fixes!!

02/03/2008 11:00:50 AM · #13

Here's a quick remake based on the skewed variation:

1. as illustrated, dupe the BG layer and set the vertical guideline, then skew lower left corner to bring the curtain to the right of the guideline

2. crop image right and top as shown. At this point the nose and the rightmost eye are pretty much rule of thirds, as is the left ear

3. magic wand selects BG, make hue/sat adjustment layer and shift the BG a little to blue and desat it a little.

4. merge the hue/sat layer into the dupe layer, then make a new adjustment layer using "gradient mask" in black-to-white. Click on the gradient and grab the bottom arrow on the black side and slide it right a bit. This will make it more contrasty. Set this layer to "luminance" mode, adding some pop to the image.

5. Merge the gradient mask layer into the dupe layer, then dupe that layer again. Go to filters>distort>lens correction and add a good deal of vignette, more than you think you need. Then fade the vignette layer so it looks right.

6. Make a new hue/sat adjustment layer and bump up sat in the yellows and reds for a little more color pop.

R.

02/03/2008 11:22:45 AM · #14

Originally posted by dassilem:

wow Bear...I didn't know that....I have Elements, but I will go look for that technique.....and this a very helpful hint for even future mistake fixes!!

Skew is available in elements. For the rest of my processing, I am not sure the gradient mask is in Elements; you can do a similar thing with curves, but I don't think you have those either. Levels can get you close also.

R.

02/03/2008 11:29:40 AM · #15

I am always amazed by you Bear....Thank you.... I do have Curves (downloaded the plugins...will check if I have the gradient mask)

Thank you for your time!...

Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM

02/03/2008 11:32:41 AM · #16

Originally posted by dassilem:

I am always amazed by you Bear....Thank you.... I do have Curves (downloaded the plugins...will check if I have the gradient mask)

Thank you for your time!...

You're welcome. It was fun. I don't have a cat any longer, so this was therapeutic :-)

R.

BAMartin

Apple iPhone 5

02/03/2008 11:34:02 AM · #17

Originally posted by Bear_Music:

You're welcome. It was fun. I don't have a cat any longer, so this was therapeutic :-)

R.

Do you want one? We have kittens on the way......

ClubJuggle

Canon EOS-400D Rebel XTi

02/03/2008 11:37:01 AM · #18

Originally posted by dassilem:

I am always amazed by you Bear....Thank you.... I do have Curves (downloaded the plugins...will check if I have the gradient mask)

Thank you for your time!...

Robt. is amazing in Photoshop. In fact, most people don't know this, but his "skiff" was actually a stray piece of driftwood before he post-processed it!

~Terry

02/03/2008 11:40:22 AM · #19

Originally posted by BAMartin:

Originally posted by Bear_Music:

You're welcome. It was fun. I don't have a cat any longer, so this was therapeutic :-)

R.

Do you want one? We have kittens on the way......

Thank you, but no. I see, at BEST, an uneasy truce between Karma and a cat. Plus karma believes that anything ont he floor belongs to her, and I don't think I could handle what she'd probably do with a litter box :-)

R.

Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L USM

02/03/2008 11:43:28 AM · #20

Originally posted by ClubJuggle:

Robt. is amazing in Photoshop. In fact, most people don't know this, but his "skiff" was actually a stray piece of driftwood before he post-processed it!

~Terry

Thank you, but I believe there's a LOT of people in here that are better than I am at Photoshop. This skew tool, though... I wish more people knew about it. It is incredibly useful, especially for correcting off-horizontal horizons when you don't want to crop the image at all. You can skew the image up or down (or a combination of both) and only lose a little wedge in whatever direction you skewed, without having to crop left or right at all and while maintaining exactly the same aspect ratio.

R.

Falc

Canon EOS-1D Mark III

02/03/2008 12:05:00 PM · #21

This is the sort of image I was trying to describe. It has drama due to the lighting.

ErikV

Nikon D7000

Nikon AF Zoom-Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 VR DG IF-ED

02/03/2008 12:06:30 PM · #22

Much safer to crop the whiskers during photo processing then to get a scissors out and trim them on the real cat. :=)

02/03/2008 12:16:45 PM · #23

Originally posted by Falc:

This is the sort of image I was trying to describe. It has drama due to the lighting.

I agree....this photo is superb!!

ErikV....definately safer in post-processing....especially if you knew the cat I'm dealing with!!