How to crop this photo

[britt777]

Hi all, I am still new at this cropping stuff. Can anyone tell me how to get this photograph printed if I want an 11x14. I am under the impression I am going to have to add a border in photo shop, because there is really no room for cropping. I don't want a smaller print and then have to matt it. Please offer tips or suggestions.

Thank you Brittany

[In2Photos]

IS this the original crop, i.e the original unedited image? If not can you post the original crop? It will be much easier to start from the original.

[PicSniper]

Wow! That's a beautiful photo!

[britt777]

This is how the image came out of the camera. So yes original crop.

Thank you PicSniper. It was an Award Winning photograph for me...;)

[sparkles]

From the original image you could use a selection box set to a ratio of 14:11 to get the crop you need, the image posted is 11" x 6" so would need a top & bottom border to cover the missing 5" to avoid printing a smalled image.

[In2Photos]

This is how the image came out of the camera. So yes original crop.

Thank you PicSniper. It was an Award Winning photograph for me...;)
I am not sure how this could be the original crop. The photo is 800 x 432 pixels which is a 1.85:1 aspect ratio. Your camera has a 3:2 aspect ratio which would yield an 800 x 533 pixel image when resized to 800 pixels.

[britt777]

Here is the original, totally untouched Raw Image.

[shung]

I rotated it a bit.

[DavidEB]

That is a very nice photo. It looks better in the long, skinny crop you posted first. But that won't fit in the standard mat sizes. It's such a nice photo I might consider a custom mat with either a custom frame in the same width-height ratio. Or at least a custom-cut mat with a standard outside size, but that leaves more mat visible on top/bottom than on the sides.

[britt777]

Hi Shung, I like the rotation, but that didn't answer my original question...lol. What else did you do to make it all blue, that part I don't like.

[poloman]

You are correct... you will need to add a border at the top and or the bottom to get the 11 x 14. If you engage the cropping tool in photoshop, you will see a place at the top of the page in which you can type the ratio you want. If you start a new document with the ratio and size that you want and then paste your image into it you can then make a border or clone the water to fill the space. Personally, I don't like the tweaked angle and you can't remove anything from between the dragonfly and frog without ruining the image.
Great shot. It SHOULD be an award winner. :)

[CRE@TE]

The border on the photo would be sized like this for 11x 14. You can add text to the border too! :p

[prime80]

How about one of those inspirational posters you see at businesses? :)

[britt777]

So I like the idea of the border, but I still don't know how to apply the border and then get it to an 11x14

[prime80]

Here's an easy way to do it.
1) Create a new image in PS and size it at 11x14x300ppi
2.) Set the color of this image to the color you want for your border.
3.) Open your frog image in PS and size it to whatever size you want
4.) Drag the frog image onto the "border" image and move it around to make the border show up how you want it.

[bobrock111565]

I would move the dinner closer to the frog to make a neater crop. But that's just me. I think my eye has to move around too much to take in all the "action". This way it's all right there.

http://www.bobrock.com/POTN/toad_crop.jpg

[bckane]

How about one of those inspirational posters you see at businesses? :)

I like this one with the wide border, BTW prime80 what font did you use for the "Patience"...??

[In2Photos]

I would move the dinner closer to the frog to make a neater crop. But that's just me. I think my eye has to move around too much to take in all the "action". This way it's all right there.

http://www.bobrock.com/POTN/toad_crop.jpg
Care to share your process for that? It looks like a very good job!

[bobrock111565]

Or easier yet...with your image open, add a blank layer below it. Go to IMAGE>CANVAS SIZE...and type in 14" x 11" or whatever you want. Fill the bottom layer with black or whatever. Then you can move your image layer to whatever position you want.

In PS there are always dozens of ways to accomplish the same task.

Bob

[britt777]

Thanks everyone for the tips. It's amazing how many different ways there are to go about the same task. I think that's what causes so much confusion/frustration, at least for me any way. Thanks again!

[bobrock111565]

Care to share your process for that? It looks like a very good job!
Sure...basically it's this:

Duplicate the layer (just so you aren't destroying the original by mistake). Draw a rough outline around the insect and the reflection. Feather the selection by about 10-15 pixels. Copy the selection to a new layer. It will appear by itself on top of the copied image layer. Turn off the layer for now.
Clone away the insect on the copied layer (on the full image, not the layer that just contains the insect you just made). Now turn back on the copied insect layer. Move it closer to the frog. But now you will need to blend it with the layer below. Change the blending mode of this layer to Hard Light. Now just go in with a feathered eraser brush, set to about 30% opacity, and brush around the edges of the insect layer a little to clean it up some more. Done.

If you need more detailed instructions with screen shots, let me know. Happy to do it.

Bob

[poloman]

neat job bob! thanks for sharing that. I thought you must have created another layer else you would lose the frog leg. :)

[bckane]

Here would be my version......tight crop
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a276/bckane/dragfly.jpg

[prime80]

I like this one with the wide border, BTW prime80 what font did you use for the "Patience"...??

Bickham Script Pro

[britt777]

Sure...basically it's this:

Duplicate the layer (just so you aren't destroying the original by mistake). Draw a rough outline around the insect and the reflection. Feather the selection by about 10-15 pixels. Copy the selection to a new layer. It will appear by itself on top of the copied image layer. Turn off the layer for now.
Clone away the insect on the copied layer (on the full image, not the layer that just contains the insect you just made). Now turn back on the copied insect layer. Move it closer to the frog. But now you will need to blend it with the layer below. Change the blending mode of this layer to Hard Light. Now just go in with a feathered eraser brush, set to about 30% opacity, and brush around the edges of the insect layer a little to clean it up some more. Done.

If you need more detailed instructions with screen shots, let me know. Happy to do it.

Bob

Thank you Bob. I am new at this PS stuff and have never cloned before, but will give this a shot. Appreciate the tip;)

[britt777]

Bickham Script Pro

Hi Prime, I can't find any of these Fonts in PS CS2 (Bickham Script Pro, Trajan Pro, Minion Pro) Could you point me in the right direction?

[In2Photos]

Sure...basically it's this:

Duplicate the layer (just so you aren't destroying the original by mistake). Draw a rough outline around the insect and the reflection. Feather the selection by about 10-15 pixels. Copy the selection to a new layer. It will appear by itself on top of the copied image layer. Turn off the layer for now.
Clone away the insect on the copied layer (on the full image, not the layer that just contains the insect you just made). Now turn back on the copied insect layer. Move it closer to the frog. But now you will need to blend it with the layer below. Change the blending mode of this layer to Hard Light. Now just go in with a feathered eraser brush, set to about 30% opacity, and brush around the edges of the insect layer a little to clean it up some more. Done.

If you need more detailed instructions with screen shots, let me know. Happy to do it.

Bob
A detailed instruction with screen shots would be marvelous. I have some knowledge of PS but I like to learn. Teach me! :)

[britt777]

I got a little side tracked...lol. Not the 11x14 I was looking for, but thought this came out pretty cool. What do think? Should I redo to the actual 11x14?

Brittany

[bobrock111565]

A detailed instruction with screen shots would be marvelous. I have some knowledge of PS but I like to learn. Teach me! :)
Running out now...will do this for you tonight when I get back.

Bob

[prime80]

Hi Prime, I can't find any of these Fonts in PS CS2 (Bickham Script Pro, Trajan Pro, Minion Pro) Could you point me in the right direction?

I wish I could help you. I'm on my work PC, and they are standard fonts on these machines. I don't know where they came from. I'll look on my machine at the house and see if they are installed there.

[CRE@TE]

The font is over here.

http://www.adobe.com/type/browser/P/P_1736.html

[bobrock111565]

Britt:
Here's a link for a multi page PDF I made for you going through the steps of moving the insect closer to the frog. The same technique can be used to basically move anything in a photo that does not have too complicated a background. If you have any questions, let me know.

Regards,
Bob

http://************/33j44t

[britt777]

Wow, I had no idea people would pay that kind of money for fonts...lol.

Bob, Thank you so much for taking the time to do the diagram for me.
I will work through it.

Cheers

[In2Photos]

Britt:
Here's a link for a multi page PDF I made for you going through the steps of moving the insect closer to the frog. The same technique can be used to basically move anything in a photo that does not have too complicated a background. If you have any questions, let me know.

Regards,
Bob

http://************/33j44t
Thanks Bob. Saved for future reference. :)

[prime80]

Hi Prime, I can't find any of these Fonts in PS CS2 (Bickham Script Pro, Trajan Pro, Minion Pro) Could you point me in the right direction?

I wish I could help you. I'm on my work PC, and they are standard fonts on these machines. I don't know where they came from. I'll look on my machine at the house and see if they are installed there.


Maybe it comes with CS3? It's available on my work and home PC, and about the only thing they have in common is CS3.

[bckane]

Hi Prime, I can't find any of these Fonts in PS CS2 (Bickham Script Pro, Trajan Pro, Minion Pro) Could you point me in the right direction?


All Three are with CS3 (Bickham Script Pro, Trajan Pro, Minion Pro)

[dale65bama]

If you don't want the border, the original crop (or close to it) would work in a 10 x 20 format. Ready-made frames are available in that format, but you might have to have a custom mat cut for it.

Dlae