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Which crop do you prefer?
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Jan 23, 2023 13:29:17   #
bajadreamer Loc: Baja California Sur
 
This shot, a Toucan Barbet, presented me with a quandary. I really like the OOF flowers in the BG of the lower part of the image. To try to preserve those I cropped in a more horizontal mode. Unfortunately, IMO, that made for an ungainly looking image. I then cropped in a more traditional, rule of thirds, manner but had to add canvas at the top. That gave a better composition (again IMO) but I lost a lot of the BG OOF flowers. Any thoughts? Otherwise the original image had the bird slightly brought up and the BG slightly brought down. The re-cropped version had a slight blur applied to the BG. Also the re-cropped version resulted in a slightly zoomed in bird.


(Download)


(Download)

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Jan 23, 2023 13:33:44   #
ORpilot Loc: Prineville, Or
 
#2.. and maybe even more crop. Beautiful bird.

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Jan 23, 2023 13:35:34   #
CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City
 
I think there's still other crop opportunities. What if you went more 16:10? You can 'see' this with the second crop, just scrolling the image off the top of the window, until you 'see' where to drop-down the top edge of the frame. It should fall around a bright spot in the new upper right background, something you'll have to clone away to not draw attention away from the bird. The bird's eye will then fall both on (about) the upper 1/3 horizontal guide across the frame and the center vertical through the frame. Clone away the random moss / litter entering the frame in the lower right corner too.

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Jan 23, 2023 13:38:58   #
R.G. Loc: Scotland
 
Don't let the rule of thirds dictate to you. Take #2, trim some off of the top, add more on the bottom and the right (but not as much to the right as #1).

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Jan 23, 2023 13:55:34   #
NMGal Loc: NE NM
 
Gorgeous bird.

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Jan 23, 2023 14:07:51   #
OldIkon Loc: Indiana, USA
 
I think I agree with R.G. What I like in the first image the balance that the spot of orange provides above the right end of the branch. In #2, the bird in the center vertically lacks the dynamic of the first image. Since I read the bird as "looking down", I want to see it higher in the image - like it's getting ready to leap forward and down.

I agree that it is a beautiful bird, good separation from the background, and very crisp.

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Jan 23, 2023 16:27:31   #
joecichjr Loc: Chicago S. Suburbs, Illinois, USA
 
bajadreamer wrote:
This shot, a Toucan Barbet, presented me with a quandary. I really like the OOF flowers in the BG of the lower part of the image. To try to preserve those I cropped in a more horizontal mode. Unfortunately, IMO, that made for an ungainly looking image. I then cropped in a more traditional, rule of thirds, manner but had to add canvas at the top. That gave a better composition (again IMO) but I lost a lot of the BG OOF flowers. Any thoughts? Otherwise the original image had the bird slightly brought up and the BG slightly brought down. The re-cropped version had a slight blur applied to the BG. Also the re-cropped version resulted in a slightly zoomed in bird.
This shot, a Toucan Barbet, presented me with a qu... (show quote)


They remain beautiful in every sense no matter which way you go, IMHO 🟠🔴🟡🟣🟢🔵 Why make yourself crazy Enjoy the stupendous shots you've taken

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Jan 23, 2023 16:28:15   #
bajadreamer Loc: Baja California Sur
 
ORpilot wrote:
#2.. and maybe even more crop. Beautiful bird.


Often I crop too tightly because I fall in love with the bird and forget the, often beautiful, BG.

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Jan 23, 2023 16:36:42   #
bajadreamer Loc: Baja California Sur
 
CHG_CANON wrote:
I think there's still other crop opportunities. What if you went more 16:10? You can 'see' this with the second crop, just scrolling the image off the top of the window, until you 'see' where to drop-down the top edge of the frame. It should fall around a bright spot in the new upper right background, something you'll have to clone away to not draw attention away from the bird. The bird's eye will then fall both on (about) the upper 1/3 horizontal guide across the frame and the center vertical through the frame. Clone away the random moss / litter entering the frame in the lower right corner too.
I think there's still other crop opportunities. Wh... (show quote)


You are absolutely correct. I tend to forget about these. See if this one works better for you. I did also do some other clean up. I like this one.


(Download)

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Jan 23, 2023 16:38:15   #
bajadreamer Loc: Baja California Sur
 
R.G. wrote:
Don't let the rule of thirds dictate to you. Take #2, trim some off of the top, add more on the bottom and the right (but not as much to the right as #1).


It is funny. I don't always consciously try to adhere to the rule of thirds but I have become so accustomed to it that my images look funny to me when it is not close.

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Jan 23, 2023 16:39:34   #
bajadreamer Loc: Baja California Sur
 
OldIkon wrote:
I think I agree with R.G. What I like in the first image the balance that the spot of orange provides above the right end of the branch. In #2, the bird in the center vertically lacks the dynamic of the first image. Since I read the bird as "looking down", I want to see it higher in the image - like it's getting ready to leap forward and down.

I agree that it is a beautiful bird, good separation from the background, and very crisp.


I often have trouble with long birds (tip of beak to tip of tail) that are sitting horizontally. Yes, I also like to have somewhere for the birds to go, even if it is just implied.

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Jan 23, 2023 16:39:53   #
bajadreamer Loc: Baja California Sur
 

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Jan 23, 2023 16:41:22   #
bajadreamer Loc: Baja California Sur
 
joecichjr wrote:
They remain beautiful in every sense no matter which way you go, IMHO 🟠🔴🟡🟣🟢🔵 Why make yourself crazy Enjoy the stupendous shots you've taken


Oh you are right! When my wife comes and looks in on me processing pictures it takes about 30 seconds for her to analyze the image and tell me what to do. More often than not, she is correct. I dwell too much on things that really do not make much difference.

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Jan 23, 2023 18:39:50   #
CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City
 
bajadreamer wrote:
You are absolutely correct. I tend to forget about these. See if this one works better for you. I did also do some other clean up. I like this one.


Awesome! For a final version, look removing at some odd artifacts in the upper left and right corners, one in the original (left) and something new in the right.

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Jan 24, 2023 00:07:43   #
TonyP Loc: New Zealand
 
I'm going to be a bit of an outlier here.
I would like to see it cropped at the bottom, maybe just a little above your logo. And the right side cropped to just include the the long bit of hanging moss that is still reasonably focused.
Beautiful bird but I also think the mossy branch adds lot to the scene and this may add emphasis to that feature. Maybe??
The second crop is my pick of the two
Have just had a second look at them and you have actually alreay done what I am suggesting so forget what I said

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