Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/01/14

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Subject: [Leica] Re: Re: To crop or not to crop
From: Jim Brick <jim@brick.org>
Date: Mon, 14 Jan 2002 15:38:41 -0800
References: <20020114200719.8E4241FB0@arne-nb.helme-intra>

About cropping.

The difference between really good photographs and just ordinary 
photographs is the composition, the simplicity, how you are drawn in to the 
subject, that your eye's are not pulled away from the subject by 
bright/cluttered ancillary objects around the periphery, etc...

Unless you use a zoom lens so that you can frame accurately from wherever 
you have to stand in order to photograph, you may have to crop out 
ancillary clutter. Sometimes you should move up, down, in, back, right, or 
left, but cannot.

When you take a photograph for others to view, you should always strive to 
present your best work. You will be remembered for what you present. When 
other people look at your photographs, they are not privy to the original 
film therefore no one but you knows whether the image was cropped or not. 
And since you want to present the very best images possible, they should be 
cropped (or not) to be just that. Your very "best" presentation. There is 
nothing worse than trying to see the picture within a bunch of distracting 
clutter or large amounts of dead space.

Those who advocate no cropping, should also advocate no filters, no special 
films, no compensating developers, no techniques to enhance edge effects, 
no pushing, no pulling, no dodging, no burning, no masking, no double 
exposures, no anything except stand there, point the camera, trip the 
shutter, Tri-X in straight D-76 or Kodachrome with Kodak processing, 
straight print the result, and then stand back by yourself and admire your 
ordinary work.

The craft of photography has developed into an art form. When a painter 
sits down with a canvas, does he/she paint every piece of the scene even if 
it is ugly and distracting? No. Editing and cropping is done when the 
original is made. A photographer does not have that complete luxury. A 
camera will record everything within a specific frame. It's when you 
produce the "original," you get to manipulate it via special developer, 
dodging, burning, etc. You may have started in the field with special film, 
filters, special lenses, etc.

The advocation of photographing and the subsequent printing without 
cropping is but a false pretense of being pure and true to the medium. This 
is just plain bologna. As I said earlier, if you advocate no cropping, you 
also have to advocate no other manipulation as well or you intentions are 
simply ill founded and completely bogus. As the old saying goes "You can't 
have your cake and eat it too."

Jim 

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Replies: Reply from Jim Brick <jim@brick.org> ([Leica] Re: Re: Re: To crop or not to crop)
Reply from Ted Grant <tedgrant@shaw.ca> (Re: [Leica] Re: Re: To crop or not to crop)
In reply to: Message from Arne Helme <Arne.Helme@stelvio.nl> (Re: [Leica] Re: To crop or not to crop)