Miles Underwood
@milesunderwood5 Jul
How do you crop when you edit
I'm curious if folks stick to a particular rule or just just freestyle to invoke the feeling they want.
0 votes · Poll closed
Of course I wish I could be Cartier-Bresson and never crop (although rumor has it he actually did crop sometime?), but I tend to keep my aspect ratio from the camera, which is 4x3, but for vertical I prefer 4x5. I shoot with 28mm full frame equivalent and shoot when I see the magic. If it was right in front of me, then I'm good... if it was a bit away, I'm fine with cropping. Tools are tools for a reason. Long winded way of saying I'm a mix of the above! 😂
I think I need to do a shoot where I go in with the idea that I never crop just to see what happens. I am usually freestyle since everything (usually) just remains digital only.
I usually keep the original ratio, but will rotate it or whatever from time to time. I shoot 28mm so that I can crop in when necessary. I almost capture the image and then reframe it later sometimes. Especially if things are moving fast.
In camera composition if at all possible, compose for the crop if not possible. Shooting wider than necessary for greater options if the photo will be used in concert with text and/or graphics. Cropping may also solve issues with unavoidable distracting elements.
Here are a few famous photographers who embraced cropping their own photographs:
Arnold Newman
William Klein
Robert Frank
Ansel Addams
Elliott Erwitt
Edward Weston
Walker Evens
Henri Cartier-Bresson (famous exception)
Dorothea Lange
And many more…
If you want to know about a famous Nat Geo photographer who meticulously framed his compositions without cropping, check out Sam Abel. He lays out his process, which he learned from his father. It’s a good story.
Original - usually (16x9 in camera or occasionally in photoshop) all others very very rarely.
Generally I first try to remain faithful to the captured aspect ratio of the image. But if that fails I let loose and crop purely in service to the image I want to convey.
What I have done with my past photos is not crop but put borders. But now I’m realigning them causing for crops.
Used to be a strictly no crop guy but now I can crop if needed but I stick to the original ratio.
Too many different ratios in one body of work is off-putting for me.