Cropping help

A Siebold · 03-08-2009, 09:41 PM

I've a basic question about cropping I hope you folks can help me with. Generally I've used a, for instance, 4x6 mask for cropping. But in reading various threads here I get the impression that more 'free' cropping is followed. "No clouds, the sky is extra -- crop it out" (not a direct quote). Does that mean you just slice off the top? (Creatively of course.) Doesn't that 'unbalance' the overall size? Are there any rules for cropping I might find helpful? I'm using PSE7, but I don't think this is a software program issue as much as a creative issue. I used the PS help features about cropping but my mind couldn't quite find my answer in their answer.

Allen

Ween · 03-08-2009, 10:22 PM

I'm not sure what you're asking, but you can crop however you like as long as the dimensions of the image you want to upload is within RP's guidelines (1024 x 683 pixels for example).

While this thread isn't about cropping, it gives an example of the original image and then the final/cropped image the contributer was happy with:
http://forums.railpictures.net/showp...34&postcount=8

JRMDC · 03-09-2009, 01:40 AM

It is a creative issue. My view/observation/experience is that anything between a 5:4 and a 3:2 ratio "works" for RP, and I do not restrict my crops in advance (by forcing a particular ratio within PSElements) but rather choose what works for the particular shot.

As for what Chris said, for horizontals I set the horizontal dimension to 1024 and the vertical to a minimum of 683 and on up to 819 which gives the 5:4. For verticals I follow the same process except I prefer not to exceed 900 vertical, which gives a range on the horizontal of 600 to 720 on the horizontal. You need a minimum of 600 in both dimensions.

For some reason RP does not like square compositions. I suppose that, for just about all train shots, square is not the best, but on rare occasions it does work for me.

A Siebold · 03-09-2009, 02:10 PM

Thanks to both of you.
I didn't realize I could crop by pixel - so I've changed my PSE to allow that. I appreciate the pixel ranges I can work with.

John Ryan · 03-09-2009, 09:12 PM

I always find square or very narrow crops to be somewhat odd. When I compose the photo, it's done through the viewfinder. I try to stick with the original aspect ratio of my camera. I try to fit the scene to the frame and vise-versa. If I screw it up, I delete it rather than produce a hot-dog proportioned photo.

JRMDC · 03-09-2009, 09:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Ryan

I always find square or very narrow crops to be somewhat odd. When I compose the photo, it's done through the viewfinder. I try to stick with the original aspect ratio of my camera. I try to fit the scene to the frame and vise-versa. If I screw it up, I delete it rather than produce a hot-dog proportioned photo.

Since when is 5:4 a hot dog proportion?

I do agree on the very narrow crops, but I do see value in square, however infrequently.

As for the rest of your post, my camera is a 3:2. My vision - however limited - is sometimes a 3:2, sometimes a 4:3, sometimes a 5:4. I see no reason to limit what I want to do to the sensor dimensions of my current camera and I don't push toward 3:2. I saw no reason to change my compositional approach when I upgraded from my 4:3 digicam to my 3:2 DSLR.

lock4244 · 03-09-2009, 10:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Ryan

If I screw it up, I delete it rather than produce a hot-dog proportioned photo.

Mmmm, hot dog...

JimThias · 03-09-2009, 11:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lock4244

Mmmm, hot dog...

If that hot dog was removed from the bun, would it still be considered a hot dog bun (aka an "empty hot dog bun")? Or would it just be considered a bun?

stevenmwelch · 03-09-2009, 11:47 PM

Jim and his buns...

JRMDC · 03-09-2009, 11:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimThias

If that hot dog was removed from the bun, would it still be considered a hot dog bun (aka an "empty hot dog bun")? Or would it just be considered a bun?

as with all of life, there seems to be a web page for everything, and a wiki entry to boot

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot_dog_bun

I have lived in the South and spent a fair amount of time in the midwest and a) I've never heard of a "side loader" and b) I'm not sure what the difference would be, other than rolling the bun over 90 degrees

Walter S · 03-10-2009, 12:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimThias

If that hot dog was removed from the bun, would it still be considered a hot dog bun (aka an "empty hot dog bun")? Or would it just be considered a bun?

Hmm Jim, I think it may be considered a empty hot dog bun. But then again I could be wrong, we should get the people at Nathan's in on this.

Carl Becker · 03-10-2009, 12:21 AM

If a hot dog bun without a hot dog was just a "bun", it would just say "buns" on the package. Then, other than "inspecting the contents", there would be no way of knowing whether the package contained hot dog buns, hamburger buns, or whatever.

Obviously, this isn't the case.

Sorry; couldn't resist.

~Carl Becker

jnohallman · 03-10-2009, 01:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JRMDC

I have lived in the South and spent a fair amount of time in the midwest and a) I've never heard of a "side loader" and b) I'm not sure what the difference would be, other than rolling the bun over 90 degrees

Based on my experience, I would consider the "standard hot dog bun" to be a side loader, in the sense that when the bun is in the package, or sitting on its flat surface on the table (sans hot dog, of course), the slit cut into the bun is to the side. On the other hand, the traditional "New England style hot dog bun" when in the package or sitting flat on the table has the slit cut into the top (making it a top-loader, I suppose).

Now, what I want to know is if the bun is hotdog-less, would it's being open be cause for rejection from the database a la an open nose door?

Jon

John Ryan · 03-10-2009, 01:33 AM

Yes, but can't you cut a hot dog in half and put it in a hamburger bun?

a231pacific · 03-10-2009, 02:42 AM

To get serious for a moment, John shoots with a camera that has a 3:2 ratio, but what about someone shooting with a Hasselblaad? Their images are square. How about the 4:3 range of digital cameras? Last I knew, my eyes were more or less round. Restricting your image to only what you can compose in your viewfinder is imposing an artificial constraint on your composition. The world around you is whatever ratio you want it to be.

That said, there are compositional conventions that help to make for a pleasing image, and square is a rather static shape. At least RP has gotten away from restricting our images to the 4:3 ratio of older monitors.

Michael Allen

stevenmwelch · 03-10-2009, 08:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Ryan

Yes, but can't you cut a hot dog in half and put it in a hamburger bun?

::eats hotdog and says with mouth full:: That's a hoturger!

stevenmwelch · 03-10-2009, 08:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jnohallman

On the other hand, the traditional "New England style hot dog bun" when in the package or sitting flat on the table has the slit cut into the top (making it a top-loader, I suppose).

When I was at Fenway Paaahk (say it like a New Englander) I didn't expect my hot dahg (more accent, I'm sounding like AB2 here!) to have the bun be Wonderbread white...