Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Perfect Composition with Cropping

By David Peters

Composition is key in the making of a great photo. While many elements go into a photograph, composition can either invite the viewer into the image or keep the image one dimensional and without feeling. How all of the elements in a picture interact with each other through their placement develops the story and message the photograph is wanting to relate to the viewer.

Good composition can turn an average snapshot into a professionals photograph. Composition is comprised of many factors. Some simple elements of composition are the framing and cropping of an image.

Photoshop can enhance the composition of a photograph through the use of the cropping tool. With this tool, you can quickly and effortlessly cut out parts of the photo that you don't want or that divert focus from the main subject. By allowing you to measure areas to be cut, Photoshop makes cropping as exact as you need it to be.

One of the major advantages of the cropping tools in Photoshop is that correcting mistakes or even starting over after cropping is easy. All you have to do go back to the beginning and try again. You can basically try out with an infinite number of possibilities.

Here are some tips for better cropping.

Keep in Mind the Rule of Thirds

You will typically never see the professional photographer center the subject in a photo, while the amateur usually does. By moving the subject off center, you will create more visual interest and appeal to your image. Visualize three lines dividing your image into even thirds and crop your photo in a manner that will place your subject into one of the outer thirds. Experiment as much as you want to reach your desired effect, but make sure to save a copy of your image as an original in a separate folder.

Cropping to Traditional Print Sizes

Standard photo sizes such as 4x6 are easier to frame, so make sure to check the sizing when cropping a photo. Should your image not conform to standard dimensions, simply cut off or add back a little of your photo to meet these sizes. Without this, a photo lab may crop off more than you would want or in the wrong area of the photo to make them print the right size.

Framing an image through your camera can take backseat thanks to the cropping tool available in Photoshop. Any adjustments and editing can be made sitting at your computer. Another nice feature of Photoshop cropping is that no matter the Photoshop Elements version or the Photoshop CS version, the basic steps remain the same.

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