Photo Cropping
Just like when you get a hair cut, you can make photos look better by cutting them. It’s called cropping. Knowing what and when to crop can make the difference between a good photo and a great one.
Cropping gets rid of extra parts of a photo and focuses on what matters. There are a couple of different ways to crop a photo. The first is with the camera. The other is with image editing software.
Here’s how to crop with a digital camera:
1. Look through the viewfinder or LCD screen.
2. Move closer to or farther away from the subject of the photo.
3. If you need to, you can also use the “widen” or “tighten” feature.
4. When you have the photo “framed” the way you want, take the picture by pressing down on the shutter release.
The #1 rule of cropping with a camera is to get close, and then get even closer to what you are taking a picture of. Look at any number of family snapshots and you’ll see why. The closer the photo, the more vibrant the people appear.
There are times when a picture needs more cropping. Computer editing software can help you:
- Crop for interest. Whether you crop in the camera or later in software, focus on what really matters in the picture, and crop for that.
- Crop to fit standard print sizes. Make sure you’re getting the photo print you want by setting the image editor to standard print sizes. Doing so automatically crops some of the photo for you.
- Straighten crooked horizons. Sometimes a photo is crooked. You can crop to make it look straight.
- Don’t mess with success. If you’ve cropped the photo right the first time, resist the need to trim more. Sometimes leaving a photo alone is the best crop of all.
Published 09/07/07
