Thank you, Old Bozza. I should add that in the past one could probably say that I was obsessed with not cropping to a certain extent. If Eric wants to crop less, he can do either what you suggest and read some serious texts on the matter, or he can simply practice something like nifty-fifty for a while, or both. I mean - I'd rather give the man practical advise that may have a pleasant side effect to having some wholesome fun.
Nowadays, I am starting (it really takes me very long time) to see the picture the way I'd like to process it before I actually take a shot. This is even greater fun. Sometimes, I take a picture and change my mind during editing. But I normally don't crop too much. Maybe just a bit around the borders, in case I missed some unwanted element or deliberately took a shot having the crop pre-planned. The most often case it happens, is when I plan to edit the picture into 16:9 ratio. In fact, my camera has a nice property of variable frame ratios, while the actual RAW file contains all the pixels that were scanned by the sensor. Anyways, trying to limit oneself with some meaningful limitation can in fact be both enjoyable and educational. On Tue, Jan 24, 2017 at 11:18 PM, Bob W-PDML <p...@web-options.com> wrote: > I think young Bozza is right here, echoing Capa - "if your pictures aren't > good enough, you aren't close enough". > > It's you who decides whether or not your pictures are good enough, and your > question suggests that perhaps you do think that. > > Cartier-Bresson was famous for (almost) never cropping, and the reason for > this was that he had a very highly developed eye for composition, and that he > shot that composition within the framelines of his camera, so any cropping > would ruin the composition. > > This was a discipline he chose for himself, along with the less strict rules > of only shooting black & white, and only using a 50mm lens. By doing this he > consciously restricted the type of photographs he would take, and reduced the > variables, thus simplifying and maintaining control. > > The result was a genius. This approach has been used numerous times in the > past in different arts. Consider for example the theatre of Corneille, which > obeyed the classical unities, was written in Alexandrine couplets, and dealt > with classical heroic themes. Less is more. > > If you do feel that your pictures are not good enough, I would recommend > studying composition, doing exercises the way people do scales for the > piano, and reducing the number of variables you have to deal with, so that > you can really focus at the time of shooting on what interests you in the > image, and use the principles of composition within the frame to bring that > to the fore. > > The way learn composition is to learn about proportion and grids, and to > learn to recognise it when you see it, so you can photograph it. Then you > won't need to crop much. > > Two Magnum photographers I really like, who shoot fantastically good, complex > compositions, are Harry Gruyaert and Alex Webb. There used to be a whole load > of stuff showing grids overlaid on their work, discussing the composition, > but it all seems to go to something called pinterest now, usual bullshit of > closing the web. But google their names with 'composition grid' and you might > find something helpful. > > I try not to crop very drastically, mainly to straighten horizons or > verticals when I use the full frame, or to use either square or double-square > (tatami mat) when I see something that suits those formats. I used to shoot > slides a lot, and didn't have the luxury of cropping. Again, limiting the > variables. > > This guy has some interesting ideas on his blog: > http://erickimphotography.com/blog/2016/01/27/100-lessons-from-the-masters-of-street-photography/ > > B > > > On 24 Jan 2017, at 14:27, Boris Liberman > <bori...@gmail.com<mailto:bori...@gmail.com>> wrote: > > Absolutely terrible. Please kindly stand in the corner for 5 mins. > > Seriously, maybe you can walk closer to your subjects should conditions > permit... > > On 24 Jan 2017 15:37, "Eric Weir" > <eew...@bellsouth.net<mailto:eew...@bellsouth.net>> wrote: > > > I crop often. Sometimes radically. To focus more clearly on what interests > me in the image. Am I a terrible photographer? > > ------------------------------------------------------------ > ------------------------------ > Eric Weir > Decatur, GA USA > eew...@bellsouth.net<mailto:eew...@bellsouth.net> > > "Man has been a murderer forever." > > - Peter Matthiessen. > > > -- > PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List > PDML@pdml.net<mailto:PDML@pdml.net> > http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net > to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and > follow the directions. > -- > PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List > PDML@pdml.net<mailto:PDML@pdml.net> > http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net > to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow > the directions. > -- > PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List > PDML@pdml.net > http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net > to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow > the directions. -- Boris -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
