What needs cropping?

[Chicago Railfan]

I'm stumped. I don't see what needs to be cropped, or if something needs to be added. Your thoughts?

Origional:
http://www.railpictures.net/viewreje...&key=865317833

Cropped:
http://www.railpictures.net/viewreje...d=603007&key=0

[nikos1]

I like the original as it had the smokestacks in the distance, i guess you could loose some of that dull cloudy sky.

[Chicago Railfan]

Originally Posted by nikos1

I like the original as it had the smokestacks in the distance, i guess you could loose some of that dull cloudy sky.

Ok, I'll try taking off some sky. I wish I could keep the smoke stacks, but if I take off the sky, it would be to wide. Thanks!

[a231pacific]

I like the original as well, but the screeners don't like shots that are centered. Chris Kilroy has stated that the rule of thirds is one of the key criteria they use when judging photos. The preferred RP crop ratio is 3:2 and if you use that, you can cut out enough sky to put the caboose on the upper and right hand 1/3 axis. It makes for a tight crop on the engine and caboose, so you might try a slightly more rectangular crop and see if they will accept it. The important thing is to observe the rule of thirds.

Michael Allen

[nikos1]

Honestly what is wrong with an image being centered? This gets me every time, and i usually then have crop elements out of my picture to get them accepted. In art a centered image is supposed to be a cliche true, but the then by totally banning centered images, dont shots with rule of thirds applied also become somewhat of a cliche?

[Ween]

Cropping aside, the image seems to need some CCW rotation and some clone work to get rid of the GIANT dust spot above the caboose...

[JRMDC]

Originally Posted by nikos1

Honestly what is wrong with an image being centered? This gets me every time, and i usually then have crop elements out of my picture to get them accepted. In art a centered image is supposed to be a cliche true, but the then by totally banning centered images, dont shots with rule of thirds applied also become somewhat of a cliche?

You make an OK logical point about cliche, except the issue isn't cliche, it is visual interest. In most cases a rule-of-thirds treatment is more visually compelling than a centered treatment, at least to many people, artsy types or otherwise.

If you are losing elements to cropping, then you have to do your original compositions in a way which retains those elements when cropped to rules-of-thirds. Or not, and enjoy your shots at home or send them to others who like centered shots, because RP just doesn't match your tastes.

EDIT: I don't want to be too doctrinaire about this. We all like shots of different sorts more than others. Anyone can enjoy a centered shot. All I am saying is that there is a long-standing preference for off-center compositions, and that is RP's preference also, and I don't think the preference is arbitrary.

[Chicago Railfan]

Originally Posted by Ween

Cropping aside, the image seems to need some CCW rotation and some clone work to get rid of the GIANT dust spot above the caboose...

What dust spot?

Tried it again, with the caboose at the top right of the picture, and now it gets poor lighting, cloudy. No way to fix that... Why couldn't they just say that one first instead of giving poor cropping 2 times in a row.

http://www.railpictures.net/viewreje...&key=785850778

[JRMDC]

Originally Posted by Chicago Railfan

What dust spot?

Chicago, if you can't see the dust spot, you have more serious troubles than a RP rejection.

Just above the cupola, to the right of the left cupola window, to the left of the "784".

[Ween]

Originally Posted by Chicago Railfan

What dust spot?

Wow................

[bigbassloyd]

Originally Posted by Ween

Wow................

tis a big ol spot it tis

Just hope for sunshine next time CR..

Loyd L.

[Chicago Railfan]

Originally Posted by Ween

Wow................

Wow what? Found the little dot, it's nothing. Just a small little dot. Exaggerate much?

[bigbassloyd]

Originally Posted by Chicago Railfan

Wow what? Found the little dot, it's nothing. Just a small little dot. Exaggerate much?

It's everything on a shot that's not technically stirring.

that was the first thing I noticed when I viewed the link.

Loyd L.

[EMTRailfan]

Originally Posted by Chicago Railfan

Wow what? Found the little dot, it's nothing. Just a small little dot. Exaggerate much?

It's almost as big as a window, but I guess they are small little windows.

[Ween]

Originally Posted by Chicago Railfan

Wow what? Found the little dot, it's nothing. Just a small little dot. Exaggerate much?

Cool. Maybe you should be a screener. It's just a little unlevel, it's nothing. It's just a little blurry, it's nothing. The subject's just a little cut-off, it's nothing.

That's one of the bigger dust spots I've seen...kinda odd that you a) didn't notice it and b) don't see it as a problem.

[Chicago Railfan]

Originally Posted by Ween

Cool. Maybe you should be a screener. It's just a little unlevel, it's nothing. It's just a little blurry, it's nothing. The subject's just a little cut-off, it's nothing.

That's one of the bigger dust spots I've seen...kinda odd that you a) didn't notice it and b) don't see it as a problem.

I never said those things... All I said was that I didn't see it at first, and that it wasn't that big of a deal, since its A: not that big, and B: goes w/ the whit sky, which I can admit, is a turn off for the picture. I never said it was ok for it to be a little cut off, unlevel, blurry, etc. etc.

And for the record, the screeners didn't pick it up either, so considering how you can find that, maybe you should be a screener.

[milwman]

Originally Posted by Chicago Railfan

All I said was that I didn't see it at first, and that it wasn't that big of a deal, since its A: not that big.

It is something you need to clean or blow out of the camera, and de-spotting photos is something we all live with. We all get them.

[Mike B.]

Originally Posted by Chicago Railfan

I never said those things... All I said was that I didn't see it at first, and that it wasn't that big of a deal, since its A: not that big, and B: goes w/ the whit sky, which I can admit, is a turn off for the picture. I never said it was ok for it to be a little cut off, unlevel, blurry, etc. etc.

Of course you didn't say that, but Ween was just applying your logic and reasoning to more aspects of photography in an attempt to illustrate how flawed that type of thinking really is. You obviously missed the point.

Originally Posted by Chicago Railfan

And for the record, the screeners didn't pick it up either, so considering how you can find that, maybe you should be a screener.

You should know by now that the screeners don't always list every reason to for the rejection. All they need is one.

[Ween]

Of course you didn't say that, but Ween was just applying your logic and reasoning to more aspects of photography in an attempt to illustrate how flawed that type of thinking really is. You obviously missed the point.

Bingo...............

[stevenmwelch]

Originally Posted by JRMDC

Chicago, if you can't see the dust spot, you have more serious troubles than a RP rejection.

Boy, I noticed it before the whole photo loaded.

It's a shot with terrible lighting, the subject isn't all that exciting (there's a good amount of ATSF cabeese running around) and the B&W just doesn't work for me.

Same **** different day for you Chicago Railfan, give us something new and exciting.

[Joe M]

Originally Posted by stevenmwelch

It's a shot with terrible lighting, the subject isn't all that exciting (there's a good amount of ATSF cabeese running around) and the B&W just doesn't work for me.

I have to agree with Stevie the B&W doesn't work for me and the sky looks way blown out.


Joe M
Sacramento,Ca
The land of Fruits and Nuts

[EMTRailfan]

Originally Posted by stevenmwelch

Same **** different day for you Chicago Railfan, give us something new and exciting.

I hope you're only joking. I think he has proven that he has learned from that lesson. Take a look at his portfolio here. Yes, the majority of his shots are wedgie-ish/roster shots, and they aren't my cup of tea either if that's what you mean by new and exciting, but to each is his own.

[Ween]

Originally Posted by EMTRailfan

I hope you're only joking. I think he has proven that he has learned from that lesson. Take a look at his portfolio here. Yes, the majority of his shots are wedgie-ish/roster shots, and they aren't my cup of tea either if that's what you mean by new and exciting, but to each is his own.

That comment might not be about his photos, but rather his attitude in the forums. Based on his response to having that dust spot pointed out, it looks like there's still maturity/being able to handle criticism issues at play...

[lock4244]

Originally Posted by JRMDC

You make an OK logical point about cliche, except the issue isn't cliche, it is visual interest. In most cases a rule-of-thirds treatment is more visually compelling than a centered treatment, at least to many people, artsy types or otherwise.

If you are losing elements to cropping, then you have to do your original compositions in a way which retains those elements when cropped to rules-of-thirds. Or not, and enjoy your shots at home or send them to others who like centered shots, because RP just doesn't match your tastes.

EDIT: I don't want to be too doctrinaire about this. We all like shots of different sorts more than others. Anyone can enjoy a centered shot. All I am saying is that there is a long-standing preference for off-center compositions, and that is RP's preference also, and I don't think the preference is arbitrary.

When the shot is a plain wedge or pretty standardly composed / standard subject, I think they'll kick centered shots as a rule. However, they accept them when they are well composed. I have a couple centered shots that made it in on (what I think was) the basis of overall composition.

[stevenmwelch]

Originally Posted by Ween

That comment might not be about his photos, but rather his attitude in the forums. Based on his response to having that dust spot pointed out, it looks like there's still maturity/being able to handle criticism issues at play...

What Chris said.