CroppingThe best way to maintain resolution and to get great images is to properly frame the image when it is taken. However, birds do not always sit still waiting for you to snap away. They move fast. You don't have time to nitpick the finer elements within the frame. You basically stick to composition basics and hope for the best. When you get home you look at what you got on the big screen. So what do you do, regarding cropping, when you end up with an image such as this one?
This image follows the basic rules of composition. However, the plant on the top left corner of the image is distracting. Some would say, "just crop it out." Others may add, "and while you are at it, also crop the distraction out or the top right corner." Often in life the solution to one problem creates another problem. You are just exchanges one problem for the other. I thought long and hard on whether to crop the top left corner plant out of the image. But when you do you create two other problems. Firstly, I rather like the fact that the plant to the right of the offending one does not leave the side of the image leaving it without a base. I want it to go down rather than leave the image on the left. Cropping the left plant out would also remove the plant to the right's base on which it stands. Secondly, that would leave less space for the bird to look into. The rules of composition say that there always needs to be enough space for movement to move into or to look into. To me, cropping the left plant out places the bird's head closer to the left edge of the image that I want. Now I can almost hear you say, "but if you were to also crop out the distracting plant in the top right of the image there would proportionately be more space in front of the bird to look into than there would be behind the bird." I would have to concede, that you are right. As usual, that now introduces a different problem. By the time all the cropping is done you may not be left with enough resolution to keep the image printable. It does not take that much resolution to fill a 4k screen. But that basically limits a print's size to roughly 8X11. Cropping both ends of the image would also mess with your aspect ratio. How will you frame your odd ratio image without incurring the cost of a custom frame. Many other printing options will actually be eliminated with such an aspect ratio. So what do you prefer, because you have to choose which problem to live with? Do you prefer cropping tighter but loose the ability to print at a decent size, or do you prefer the image as it is thus retaining the ability to print it larger? If you never print your image then cropping it more would make sense. If you want to print the image then maybe not so much. However, I will still argue that an odd aspect ratio image does not look that nice on a 4k display either as much of the screen's real estate will be unused. My personal conclusion is to just leave it as it is. Comments
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