Leaners III - Crop Help?

Gallery: LandscapePosted March 15, 2011216 views15 comments

Here's another spot on the little sandy forest brook with the leaning pines. I wanted to show off the of snow in the little clearing, which is rare in these dense woods, but I had a hard time with the composition. I could not move another inch to the left because I was up against a large tree perched on the bank. This is a vertical panorama of three horizontal shots. After stitching and initial cropping, I have a 25 megapixel image, so there is room to crop.

THREE CROPS:
1. Compromise crop: Posted image
2. Uncropped: on the left in "View Larger Photo"
3. More extreme crop: on the right in "View Larger Photo" (better-balanced, but does cuts off the snow that I liked).

I still like the larger versions, even though most of the interest is on the right side. Is that a problem? What do you think -- Any cropping ideas?

Canon 50D
Sigma 17-70mm.
1/13 sec. @ f/16; ISO 100
Tripod on snowshoes; 2-sec. timer
Three horizontal images stitched in CS5

Comments

15 comments

Comment posted by Mark Seaver on March 15, 2011 at 6:36 PM

Of these three, I'll take a some from behind doors 1 and 3. I definitely like the one on the right in the larger view because the stream comes to the bottom of the frame. That bottom crop also emphasizes the sunlit base of the tree along the stream in the mid-ground. I like the trees best in the version posted here, because they also show some of the sunlight without the distracting "white" sky seen in the left side of the larger versions.

Registered on January 23, 2011, 1103 Posts, 17270 Comments

Comment posted by Christine Adams on March 15, 2011 at 8:07 PM

Hi Wayne! I hope your health is good now.

How about if the first image, (this one) was cropped square keeping all of the snow and only the bottom of the trees? My immediate thought was that the subject was of the stream and snow. The leaning tree is a bit of a distraction to me and a square crop minimizes that. Just my thoughts.

Registered on January 24, 2006, 119 Posts, 1871 Comments

Comment posted by Morris McClung on March 15, 2011 at 8:50 PM

I think I like this version best. The portion of sky you left in gives a little added depth for me. It is a beautiful winter scene, and you brought out excellent detail in the snow.

Registered on May 7, 2007, 670 Posts, 19650 Comments

Comment posted by Dan Baumbach on March 15, 2011 at 9:38 PM

I can see you wanting to crop the top because of the bright sky, but I think the comp in the uncropped photo works best. Is there any way you can darken the sky?

- Dan

Registered on November 1, 2003, 473 Posts, 7980 Comments

Comment posted by Bill Chambers on March 15, 2011 at 9:40 PM

All three are really nice, but I like the compromise comp the best. The texture of the snow is great, as is the brown and green color. Beautiful shot Wayne.

Registered on April 10, 2005, 753 Posts, 21216 Comments

Comment posted by Gary Yeoh on March 16, 2011 at 12:47 AM

Wayne:
I like the compromised crop. It has all the elements you want to show; the leaning tree, the light a the base of the trees, the stream and snow in the foreground. Its a very tranquil image.

Registered on September 1, 2009, 588 Posts, 8184 Comments

Comment posted by Stan Rose on March 16, 2011 at 5:32 AM

Very sneaky, Wayne--using the allotted 1200 pix max

My clear favorite is #3. Here's why: The best part of the image is the sunlit section, and #3 maximizes it. #3 also eliminates the (relatively boring/distracting) sky and is more intimate, which i feel is appropriate for this (intimate) scene. I also like the fact that there is nothing 'blocking' the strong diaganol (stream) in #3, so it invites you into the scene rather than impeding your entry.

Registered on September 15, 2005, 836 Posts, 17099 Comments

Comment posted by Wayne Jones on March 16, 2011 at 10:28 AM

Thanks Everyone!
STAN: Thanks for the detailed answer. Oddly, that close version is the one I was going to post until I saw your recent post the the diagonal snow bank covering 44% of the frame.

I love everything I see, so it's always hard picking one element to concentrate on. In this case, the soft FG snowbank and the sunny spot were competing, and I liked the mound of snow in the brook, too. I guess if I waned it all (and I always do) I should have tried a different angle. (Collecting Social Security and still learning.)

Registered on April 18, 2007, 953 Posts, 6435 Comments

Comment posted by Nancy Lea Sandy on March 16, 2011 at 11:35 AM

I like this one. The light and colors are lovely and the snow does seem to be the story. The leaning tree in this image plays a supporting role, I think. If the snow was your object, of the three, I think this one emphasizes it best.

Registered on January 24, 2011, 576 Posts, 6942 Comments

Comment posted by Peter Richter on March 16, 2011 at 12:54 PM

Wayne, I really like #3, as it gives me an immediate feeling of the atmosphere. Your processing is excellent, very delicate and natural colors, beautiful light.

Peter

Registered on November 10, 2010, 218 Posts, 2723 Comments

Comment posted by Andreas Resch on March 16, 2011 at 3:19 PM

Very nice spot, Wayne. I like #1 and #3 most - both have their strengths. Technically I see some color shifts in the snow between purple and cyan (especially close to the right frame). This looks a little odd and could be corrected.

Registered on November 14, 2007, 322 Posts, 6101 Comments

Comment posted by Lon Overacker on March 16, 2011 at 3:38 PM

Wayne,

Lovely winter image. And you've certainly received a broad range of opinions on the crops and I'll offer another. Actually, it was already mentioned by Christine. My nitpick would be the sky up top which would lead me to a crop anyway. I think you mentioned you liked the mounds of snow and the opening for the creek. I agree and think the bottom portion of the image should remain in tact. So for me a square crop, or at least coming down from the top enough to eliminate the patches of sky would work best for me. It brings more emphasis to the snow. The light in the bg is quite nice, but is not the main subject IMHO.

A lovely image no matter how you slice it Wayne.

Lon

Registered on November 24, 2006, 521 Posts, 19147 Comments

Comment posted by Tony Kuyper on March 16, 2011 at 11:18 PM

I think they're all fine images, Wayne, but like this one best. The blue and the texture in the snow look better here.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 364 Posts, 22328 Comments

Comment posted by Vance Gese on March 17, 2011 at 12:30 AM

They are all really nice Wayne, beautiful takes on a beautiful winter setting. I am partial to the first and third images though, more so the third as I do like tighter compositions that focus on fewer elements and make those elements really shine, which I feel the third image does very well. The nice diagonal of the tree and the lead in of the stream both work best in the third image. Outstanding work.

Registered on November 13, 2008, 298 Posts, 6629 Comments

Comment posted by Zack Clothier on March 17, 2011 at 10:35 AM

Wayne, I prefer the image you posted here the best, the texture in the snow is excellent and I would hate to see any of it lost. Well done!

Registered on January 28, 2010, 343 Posts, 2257 Comments