Cropping - DPChallenge Forums

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

10/10/2003 11:48:18 PM · #1

Hi everyone. I'm new here and have only been playing with photography since March. This may seem like an obvious question to ask, but...

I've been wondering for awhile how everyone crops their pictures. Do you crop them? I suppose some people are just that good that they don't need to crop, but I'm still learning. I find that I usually like my pictures better after a little crop. My problem is that the crop tool doesn't let you constrain the proportions. Or not that I can find, anyway. I haven't really gotten prints of any of my images yet, but it seems like without a constraint it could cause problems when going to frame the images.

I guess what I'm asking is, when you crop your images, how do you go about it? Do you use the selection tool, invert, and paste into a new document? How do maintain the proportions so you can later frame your images? Or don't you worry about it?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. I'll check back tomorrow evening. Thanks. :-)

Pedro

Nikon D200

10/10/2003 11:57:18 PM · #2

Originally posted by ButterflySis:

depends what editing software you are using. photoshop and others will let you constrain proportions, which is necessary in some cases.

I usually crop based on what I am shooting. i try to frame the pic as i want it in the camera, but on occasion (particularly at times when I may only get one opportunity to catch something) I allow myself extra area in the frame. This allows me to crop it later, without the risk of missing something. Cropping can completely change the look and feel of an image - don't be shy to play with many different crops on the same image. It will help you learn what you like, so later you shoot what you want in the first place.

Good luck.

Pedro

zeuszen

Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

10/10/2003 11:59:56 PM · #3

I use Apple's iPhoto for cropping and basic editing. It does allow for Constrain options, which, frankly, I have never used.

Even though I prefer standard formats for my images, approximating these (by eye) serves my aesthetic expectations fine. Uniform framing, IMO, can still be achieved by allowing white space between the image and the edge of the next higher proportion. (?)

Others, perhaps, had more extensive experience with formatting requirements for (hard copy) galleries?

Message edited by author 2003-10-11 00:00:34.

coolhar

Canon PowerShot Pro 90 IS

10/11/2003 01:46:15 AM · #4

Don't worry about proportions when cropping. Just use the crop tool to make the image look it's best in your eye. Try a few different crops until you see which one you like best.

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

10/11/2003 10:22:49 PM · #5

Thank for all of your opinions. I should've mentioned that I use PS7.

Pedro - Thanks for the advice. Does the crop tool in PS7 allow for constrain? There's a 'Front Image' option but that isn't the same. It basically blows up the image and ruins the resolution.

zeuszen - Good idea. Using white space or creating a border would work well, too. I think I'll play around with that on a few of my photos.

coolhar - I suppose you're right. With custom framing and everything else, I shouldn't worry too much about it. I do need to work on setting up my photos right to begin with though; like Pedro said.

Again, thanks for all of your help.

Pedro

Nikon D200

10/11/2003 10:47:05 PM · #6

Originally posted by ButterflySis:

PS7 does it quite easily. when you select the crop tool, two text boxes will appear at the top just below the menubar, asking for the dimensions you want. Fill those in, then drag your cursor around the pic where you want it to crop. It will constrain your crop box to the ratio and proportions you set out at the top, and will not allow it to go bigger than the maximum size you set.

From there you can still move the copr box around until it sits where you want it. Double click anywhere inside the box, and voila - you're done. Don't like it? Undo works :)

Let me know if this wasn't very clear...i'm not a technical writer, more of a doer.

P

Sony 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 E-mount

10/11/2003 11:03:16 PM · #7

Originally posted by Pedro:

Let me know if this wasn't very clear...i'm not a technical writer, more of a doer. P

Doh!, I'm so blond at times. You were very clear. I thought those boxes were apart of the "Front Image" tool.

Thank you SO much for clearing that up for me! That will make life easier. :-)

jmsetzler

Sony Alpha a6000

10/11/2003 11:12:22 PM · #8

I crop just about everything I shoot, and I compose with that cropping in mind. It's not really about being 'good enough' to not have to crop. If you are printing your images and want to put them in standard sized mat/frame combos, you need to consider this when you are making your photo. You need to be aware of what image size ratio your camera is creating and how that relates to the ratio of the print you want to make.

In my case, my camera makes a 1.33:1 image (9x12). I generally want to end up with an 8x10 format image. With this in mind, I compose photos so that I can crop a little from the left/right or top/bottom, depending on the orientation of the image without losing anything that I want to be visible in the print.

The Adobe products do allow constrained aspect cropping, and Paintshop Pro v8 does as well.