How would you crop? (Page 2): I like azpiclady and Linda's comments about the boulders. What's to the left outside of the image? Would shifting your point of view more to the left so...

Steve DeMott Loc: St. Louis, Missouri (Oakville area)

Guyserman wrote:

I understand what you mean. By cropping out most of the right side of the picture they would be at the edge facing into the picture. But I'm wondering what that would do the emotional impact. I'll have to try it and see. The thing that draws people to this point is the view of the Arkansas River and fertile fields some 800-900 feet below. You wouldn't expect a dog to show that interest. That's what grabbed my attention.

I like azpiclady and Linda's comments about the boulders. What's to the left outside of the image? Would shifting your point of view more to the left so that the composition would not include the structure, thus showing more boulders and valley.
If possible I would try to re-visit the site try a slightly different composition and have your wife walk into the frame.

OK! That's my opinion and $.01 worth

Guyserman Loc: Benton, AR

Thanks to all who offered their opinions. The verdict is in. Or rather a decision has been made. A 16.9 crop with the deck cropped out but retaining the corner post. Some of the sky was cropped out to retain more boulders. Thanks, again.

(Download)

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

Guyserman wrote:

Thanks to all who offered their opinions. The verdict is in. Or rather a decision has been made. A 16.9 crop with the deck cropped out but retaining the corner post. Some of the sky was cropped out to retain more boulders. Thanks, again.

Excellent!

neilds37 Loc: Port Angeles, WA

Guyserman wrote:

Thanks to all who offered their opinions. The verdict is in. Or rather a decision has been made. A 16.9 crop with the deck cropped out but retaining the corner post. Some of the sky was cropped out to retain more boulders. Thanks, again.

Guyserman Loc: Benton, AR

steve DeMott wrote:

I like azpiclady and Linda's comments about the boulders. What's to the left outside of the image? Would shifting your point of view more to the left so that the composition would not include the structure, thus showing more boulders and valley.
If possible I would try to re-visit the site try a slightly different composition and have your wife walk into the frame.

OK! That's my opinion and $.01 worth

Petit Jean State Park is one of my favorite places. There is no doubt I will visit it again at some point in time the Lord permitting. Don't know if I will ever have as interesting a subject. (The wife is interesting, of course, but I've become quite familiar with her.)

artBob Loc: Near Chicago

Cropping quite depends on the personal, often "prejudiced," starting point of what a person wants to see. In your photo, I saw a wonderful grouping of ancient rocks, verdant new valley, man's creating an access, the awe that nature inspires in man and animal (difference there?).
I cropped to feature all of those, making the peering creatures part of triangular composition, intensifying the rocks, including the walkway (not really a distraction, but part of a story--besides, I NEEDED that foreground beauty of a rock),taking out the overly cyan cast in the valley, and fiddling with the values.
Your alertness to the moment is a fine capture, which, like most "accidents," needs but little tweaking to capture what you loved.

(Download)

R.G. Loc: Scotland

Guyserman wrote:

Thanks to all who offered their opinions. The verdict is in. Or rather a decision has been made. A 16.9 crop with the deck cropped out but retaining the corner post. Some of the sky was cropped out to retain more boulders. Thanks, again.

Your crop is good but Linda's crop is better. If you crop out too much you lose the context. It's not a photo of a man and a dog - it's a photo of a man and his dog viewing a panoramic scene somewhere off to the left from some type of viewpoint at the top of a hill in some rough and rocky terrain on a pleasant day with bright blue cloudy skies.

The man and dog don't have to be right of the centre line, they just need to be an acceptable distance from the left hand edge of the frame. It's a given that we can't see what they can see so it's OK that their gaze is directed out of the frame.

Guyserman Loc: Benton, AR

artBob wrote:

Cropping quite depends on the personal, often &quo... (show quote)

Your comment is much appreciated. I raised the question about cropping and felt like I needed to bring it to a conclusion but all the time I was thinking I don't really want to crop it. I uploaded it to an 'Arkansas Only' website without cropping and have received many favorable comments. I like your tweaking.