Cropping Issues

[Meerkat17]

Would anyone like to give some input on a possible crop for this image - each time I attempt to take this shot I feel I fail - either through choice of lens, angle of view, etc. It always looks good at the time and when I process it I hate it!!!!http://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_sad.gif

Not only on the crop - how would you choose to shoot it? I always seem to want to add the "mud flats" (foreground) which I feel is as much a part of the area as the village is...:confused:

A lower angle?

Get closer?

Lose all the foreground?

Give up and sell my camera?http://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_lol.gif

This was a two row panoramic, shot in portrait format. I've added three other shots with darkened areas which I thought about cropping out. All comment and critique welcomed - please no statements like "nice image!" as I find that very insulting when asking for critique.

Original Image:
http://www.btinternet.com/~David.Lewins/g5/images/alnmouth_original.jpg

Crop 1:
http://www.btinternet.com/~David.Lewins/g5/images/alnmouth_crop1.jpg

Crop 2:
http://www.btinternet.com/~David.Lewins/g5/images/alnmouth_crop2.jpg

Crop 3:
http://www.btinternet.com/~David.Lewins/g5/images/alnmouth_crop3.jpg

Regards

[tim]

I can see what you're getting at, but I don't think any crop I can do will make this picture much better. If you were taking it again you might try using a wider angle lens, getting more sky, and putting the horizon at the lower of where the rule of thirds says to. Or maybe that won't work.

Either way, here's a version with the saturation increased and the levels tweaked.

[lomond]

Hi David,
Perhaps you could lose some of the sky.
I certainly wouldn't crop out any of the forground, it's integral to the shot.

Perhaps a lower angle might help.
Angle finder C......;-)

[EOSAddict]

I prefere the narrow crop of the ones you post but perhaps we have to accept that there are some scenes that you just can't capture as well as the naked eye can!

Have just come back from Brittany and saw the standing stones at Carnac - massivly impressive but very difficult to capture a good image.......

[PhotosGuy]

David, maybe you don't like it because the buildings look so small? Why not try shooting a pano with the cam vertical using a longer lens & see what that does for you? ;-)

[Meerkat17]

I prefere the narrow crop of the ones you post but perhaps we have to accept that there are some scenes that you just can't capture as well as the naked eye can!


I think you are possibly right! However, I'm the type that cannot accept!http://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif http://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_lol.gif Thinking about it this place is never shot from here - probably others have tried and failed the same as me!?http://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_confused.gif


Perhaps a lower angle might help.
Angle finder C......http://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif

Just bought one of those from a very good friend!http://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif Will test your suggestion out next time I'm in that Amble area. Thanks


Either way, here's a version with the saturation increased and the levels tweaked.

Thanks for the suggestion Tim and for the tweeked version - it was a very overcast - hazy day and there wasn't much of a sky really!.

David, maybe you don't like it because the buildings look so small? Why not try shooting a pano with the cam vertical using a longer lens & see what that does for you? http://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif

That's a possibility Frank, it's just so difficult to get close from that side - It was the first pano shot I've tried in that area and I had to be quick as I was on Private land (didn't realise until too late) so I didn't have chance to think about what lens and just used the 18 50mm and I think it was at 38mm for the 2 rows. I'll try the 80mm and also the 100mm and see what happens.


Thanks everyone for all your input.
Regards

[d'homme]

I moved the horizone.. and saturated.

[Drowned]

I moved the horizone.. and saturated.

I like this one, but too much saturation :(

Here is my version... I moved the blue sky down and added a bit of color and sharpness... what do you think? Perhaps I cropped a bit too much of the sky area... :confused:

[Drowned]

Another test... more sky, less saturation...

[d'homme]

Like your saturation...

[d'homme]

one more time ..lol

[Meerkat17]

I hate to spoil your fun but I can post process an image very well on my own - the issues here are not about Saturation or placing a sky into the image - if you have no critique to give then go and do TESTS with your own images and not mine!

David

[d'homme]

No need for the attidude. But changed the location of the horizon and cropping and focal points.

[Meerkat17]

Its not attitude -- if you have nothing more constructive to add other than your feeble attempts and repeatedly submitting them then you are being nothing more than destructive!

If you don't know what Critique is, then might I suggest that you read this (http://www.romanzolin.com/techniques/photo/photo_5.htm)

David

[chakras]

I tried to crop the image, but never liked missing out the beautiful sky or the features in the front of the image. On a whole, I would go with Crop# 1, but again that is only my view.

[Drowned]

Its not attitude -- if you have nothing more constructive to add other than your feeble attempts and repeatedly submitting them then you are being nothing more than destructive!

If you don't know what Critique is, then might I suggest that you read this (http://www.romanzolin.com/techniques/photo/photo_5.htm)

David

Then why do you mention this?

All comment and critique welcomed

I just posted my opinion on were I would crop and simply added that lowering the sky would make it look better instead of leaving the gray sky in there... a SIMPLE COMMENT that meant no harm. If you don't want to hear any opinions or comments, you should NOT mention they're welcome on your post...

[d'homme]

<Critique>
You divided the picture in half with the horizon being in the middle, confuses the eye where it should look. The color is flat and lifeless. The width of the landscape also hinders giving a clear place for the eye to look. Lower or raise the horizon. If you're gonna show more of the sky add some blue so it has some life. If you at the foregroun add a little saturation to the green. Narrow the crop so that winding river at the bottom leads the eye somewhere instead of all over the photo.
</Critique>

So much for one pic being a those words.

[Meerkat17]

I tried to crop the image, but never liked missing out the beautiful sky or the features in the front of the image. On a whole, I would go with Crop# 1, but again that is only my view.

Thanks Chakras,
If I were to crop this image crop number 1 is probably the one I'd go for - I think Frank was right about the building being too small - it's all foreground and sky with no middle.

The area isn't going anywhere, so I get another chance to photograph it.

Thank you for your input

Regards