Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/01/14
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]I agree. Cropping and photography goes hand in hand. Coming from a newspaper publication background, I can relate to the absolute necessity of cropping. I remember reading a biography of Ansel Adams which he said, "Before taking any picture, I do all the preparation upfront in hoping for a picture-perfect frame, but sometimes we do not have such control and that's where darkroom knowledge and visual-enhancment cropping comes into play". - --- Jim Brick <jim@brick.org> wrote: > 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 > > -- > To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Send FREE video emails in Yahoo! Mail! http://promo.yahoo.com/videomail/ - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html