Which crop ?

I would appreciate some help on deciding which crop looks best for this photo of a Pine Marten.

I quite like the 1:1 ratio as its different, I like the 8:10 also as a portrait type, and I also like the landscape style.....

Which one shows the Pine Marten best ?

Thanks

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Landscape crop

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The first one for me. I like the partial limb on the right. It works better than the last one where there is space on the other side of the limb, at least, to me. Your decision will make a difference if you print it. Will a landscape fit your wall better or would the portrait print? If I was going to print the portrait, I would crop just a tad more off the right to get rid of the limb entirely.

This is subjective, to be sure.

I definitely agree with Phoenixkh that if you're cropping it more vertically you should get rid of the limb on the right. Your second crop as is just looks a bit sloppy with it poking in like that.

As far as the third image goes, I like the shape of the tree but the first image does bring the focus in on the Pine Marten better.

I'm quite fond of 4:5 and 1:1 crops myself (and compose to use them quite often) but it needs to fit the content of the image.

I try to put the subjects eye right at one of the crosshair of the rule-of-thirds. In this case, I would shift the subject over to the right andhave it looking into "action" to the left. I would also crop out the vertical limb, or at least most of it.
Nice shot. never seen one of those.

#1 for me
Artifact in right side of #2 is distracting

I like the square crop also.

crbinson wrote in post #17435040
#1 for me
Artifact in right side of #2 is distracting

Agreed. I think if you cloned out the small part of the trunk on the right though it would end up the stronger of the two.

The first one. No reason for the choice, it just looks better.

Of the three you posted, I prefer #2. But, if it were my image, I would use a 5:7 aspect ratio instead of the 4:5 aspect ratio. Besides having more pleasing proportions, this would also serve to remove the distracting tree trunk fragment along the right edge of the frame.

By the way, you captured the background in a very lovely, distraction-free way, and it looks great! Also, the pose (head turn) of the marten is wonderful. A really great image overall!

Less crop and landscape.

First of all, great shot of an unusual critter (to me, anyway).

Re the crop: it would depend mostly on use! But if no use is considered, then I would go portrait if you want emphasis on the animal (true nature photo - "natural history" shot), but landscape otherwise. For hanging on my wall, I would choose the latter. Pictorially it is excellent IMO. However, I might try placing the animal slightly more to the right by cropping a bit to see how that looks.

Thanks all for your kind comments. Is there a way to allow others to edit your images so as to help ?

Top pic 5 x 7 crop looks like this. Bottom pic is unconstrained . No vertical cropping on original image

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Canon-Chas wrote in post #17435574
Is there a way to allow others to edit your images so as to help ?

well, there used to be a setting that you could select to give others permission to edit your photos. Not sure where that is now.
I prefer the second.

Larry Johnson wrote in post #17436162
well, there used to be a setting that you could select to give others permission to edit your photos.

Supposedly, that is gone and will not come back. I think Pekka likes it better with no such setting.

In lieu of the setting, I think members could put something in their signature that says,

"I grant permission for anyone to edit any of my photos in any way they like, and to post these edited photos of mine anywhere they want".

That way, people wouldn't have to go thru the hassle of sending a PM, and then waiting for the PM to be answered. By time that happens, you've already moved on to other things, and it is too late.