How to Crop tutorial

[gmwinder]

Anyone know a good source on this subject. I'm finding there is as much to the crop as there is to processing the image and I need help please!

gm

[AccidentalArt]

I'm posting just so I remember to read the answers you get. Good question!

AA

[In2Photos]

The sticky at the top of this section has some cropping tutorials:

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=34606

[sageone]

Basic rule of thumb that I remember is "fill the frame." While that is applied to taking the picture, I always keep that in mind when cropping. There are times that you see a photograph one way, yet can look at it from another way when cropping. One of the things I do when cropping in cs2 is bring the cropped area color to totally black. That way, it totall darkens what I am going to cut out and gives me a preview of what the "new" image will look like. Practice makes perfect. Grab a shot you like and try 3-5 different crops. You'll eventually get a style of cropping that matches your desired effect.

[BillMarks]

The rule I use for cropping is crop as much as needed to help convey what I was trying to say with the image.

[In2Photos]

I think the OP knows WHAT to crop but not HOW to crop. That is the reason for needing the tutorials.

[whiskaz]

Basic rule of thumb that I remember is "fill the frame." While that is applied to taking the picture, I always keep that in mind when cropping. There are times that you see a photograph one way, yet can look at it from another way when cropping. One of the things I do when cropping in cs2 is bring the cropped area color to totally black. That way, it totall darkens what I am going to cut out and gives me a preview of what the "new" image will look like. Practice makes perfect. Grab a shot you like and try 3-5 different crops. You'll eventually get a style of cropping that matches your desired effect.

sageone, you bring the cropped area to totally black? I assume you use the crop tool which just lightens the cropped area? How do you make the cropped area (preview) totally black? If I'm following you correctly...

[In2Photos]

sageone, you bring the cropped area to totally black? I assume you use the crop tool which just lightens the cropped area? How do you make the cropped area (preview) totally black? If I'm following you correctly...

There is an opacity slider on the toolbar for the tool.

[sageone]

sageone, you bring the cropped area to totally black? I assume you use the crop tool which just lightens the cropped area? How do you make the cropped area (preview) totally black? If I'm following you correctly...

Yes, as mentioned above, I use the slider to make it all black. You can also change the color by clicking the color box when the tool is selected. You can make the cropped out area green if you like - totally up to you.

[whiskaz]

Ha. Wow - funny what you overlook. I figured that's what you meant but didn't have cs2 in front of me to check out the options.

[sageone]

Yea, blacking out the area has helped a lot with crops for me.

[DavidW]

I've given some cropping methods for Photoshop CS2 in this post (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?p=1671426).



David

[gmwinder]

It seems I didn't make my question clear. I know how to physically crop in PS2...what I'm not good at is the artistic part...where to crop a picture etc. For example...in a bird shot, how much area around the subject do you leave...more on one side than the over...the compostition I guess is what I'm asking. Are there "rules"?

gm

[sageone]

I don't think they are any rules...other than the rule of thirds in photography. Maybe that also applies in cropping.