How To Edit Photos – Cropping For The Perfect Picture
April 25th, 2011 | Author: admin
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.
Knowing what creates a good composition defines the great photographers from the amateurs. Many factors make up good composition, but cropping is perhaps one of the most important parts.
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.
The best part about cropping using Photoshop’s cropping tool is that if you don’t like how your photo looks after it has been cropped you can simply go back to where you started and try again. You can essentially experiment with an unlimited number of possibilities.
Better Cropping Tips:
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.
Crop to Traditional Print Sizes
Standard photo sizes such as 4×6 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 becomes a thing of photography days gone by thanks to the ease by which Photoshop allows you to crop photos. All you have to do is edit images via computer. Dont worry about what your version of Photoshop is. The technical aspects of using the cropping tool are basically the same from Photoshop Elements to the more advanced version, Photoshop CS.
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