PHOTOGRAPHY EXPOSED

by John Peters A.R.P.S.

CROP

Crop or cropping a photograph is usually done when editing a photo. It is often used to improve the composition of a photo or to effectively zoom-in on a particular area of a photo which is a technique that can be used when you are perhaps missing a telephoto lens or you can't get close enough to your subject.

TOP TIP 'Cropping' is a good technique in editing and benefits from a higher resolution of camera or sensor. The higher the better and in some cases, you can 'crop' or effectively zoom in up to 5X or 10X the original size. The latest smartphones and cameras may have a very high resolution, effectively doing away with the need of a good optical or digital zoom. Simply grab a pic, crop the important area, 'bobs your uncle'.

The whole scene as photographed. A lengthy exposure, stopping down (F16) for foreground to distance sharpness. A right-angle finder was always used for such shots, a slow shutter speed, a small aperture (F16) for good D.O.F., mirror lock-up, a tripod, electronic cable release etc. This was my standard setup. Oh, did I mention wellies or waders, always carry a pair in the car boot, especially handy if going near water.

Cropping, or zooming-in on just the one area of the photo, can produce a totally different effect. Converting to monochrome or B/W was also done during editing. BORDERPICS used to be an old website I hosted. Basically, a one stop shop for all things photographic. I had top ranking, offered photography, website building, montages, framing, large prints, restoration and repair, everything. My area was sewn up, I even had clients from Oswestry and all over Britain. Ahead of its time.