Effective cropping and composition are essential skills for every photographer, impacting the final outcome of their images significantly. Understanding how to use these tools can transform a decent photo into an exceptional one, focusing the viewer’s attention on the most important elements of the scene.
Coming to you from Mark Denney, this insightful video dives into the art of cropping for impact in photography. Denney emphasizes three critical questions to guide the cropping process: Does it add value to the scene? Do I want the viewer to focus on it? And does the photo flow? By examining various submitted photographs, Denney illustrates how unnecessary elements can distract the viewer and detract from a photo’s overall impact. His approach to removing these distractions and highlighting the main subject of the photo demonstrates the transformative power of thoughtful cropping and composition.
Denney shows how cropping can effectively eliminate unimportant areas, thereby enhancing the photograph’s main subject. This is particularly evident in his examples where unnecessary foreground elements are removed, leading to a cleaner, more focused image. Denney’s method of adjusting the crop to accentuate the photo’s natural lines and improve visual flow is an invaluable lesson for newcomers. This attention to detail in composition not only enhances the visual appeal but also the storytelling aspect. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Denney.
And if you really want to dive into landscape photography, check out our latest tutorial, “Photographing the World: Japan With Elia Locardi!”
