Cropping

Next up on photography tips is cropping. I think all camera phones these days allow you to crop, I know mine does so why should you use it? If you take your photography seriously it makes a huge difference in how you photo looks. If you want your images to look professional you should crop all your shots because there is usually a lot of extra "stuff" that needs to go. Let me explain why I do what I do.

If you ever wondered why I put the batter at the back of the photo when I post softball pictures there is a good reason. You have to give you subject a place to move in the picture. The picture is a still image but by giving more room in the direction of where the subject is looking, or moving, you create a visual dynamic that the still shot has room to breathe and that the subject, if it were a live shot could move into this space.

Here is a side by side of the raw shot of Taylor moving towards the team. In the original shot she was centered and that created the illusion that she was stuck in this space. By cropping out the area behind her now she has a space to move into. This may seem like a trivial thing but I crop all my shots this way. I think this simple change takes a photo from amateur to professional in one step.  I feel you have to give your subject a place to go or you end up stagnating them in that space.

Here is another example and probably the most dynamic. Here Devin just threw the ball and if I didn't give him the space to throw the ball he would look flat and by flat I mean still. I want my still image to look like it has a place to go and by leaving him plenty of room to move into I have created that illusion.

If you want your photos to get to the next level spend some time with your crop function and give your subject a place to go. Don't force them into a still space and stagnate them. Let them breathe...

KT