Resting Elk

Gallery: WildlifePosted July 7, 2012751 views8 comments

I would like to know your thoughts on the cropping of this image (as well as any thing else you would care to comment on). I will post the entire uncropped image below so you can see how much room I have to work with. If I were to follow the rule of thirds, I would end up cropping off too much of the bottom flowers which I like quite a bit. Here the elk is a bit too high and too far to the left according to the rule of thirds. So I am wondering if breaking the rules works here or not?

Canon Digital Rebel XT
300mm f/4L IS + 1.4 TC
1/400, f/7.1, ISO 100
7-2-07; 8:25 am

Comments

8 comments

Comment posted by Carol Nichols on July 7, 2012 at 1:59 PM

Here is the uncropped image.

Registered on November 7, 2007, 161 Posts, 1420 Comments

Comment posted by Philip Hodgkins on July 7, 2012 at 4:03 PM

I don't have a problem at all with the crop. The layers of vegetation are really the strength of this photo. I don't think you could position the elk just anywhere, but this feels well balanced to me. I think you made a wise choice.

Registered on July 24, 2006, 2741 Posts, 12349 Comments

Comment posted by Nancy Wolfe on July 7, 2012 at 8:02 PM

I, myself, would have zoomed in a little on the elk and made him larger.

Registered on April 7, 2012, 42 Posts, 103 Comments

Comment posted by Vincent Grafhorst on July 8, 2012 at 4:43 AM

IMO your crop is about right Carol. I agree with Phil that the layers in this scene are the strength of the image. Positioning of a man subject does not have to be according to the ROT per se. If you awanted it a bit more off-centre here I guess you could crop a bit more off the right and top or bottom.

Registered on February 24, 2006, 504 Posts, 7203 Comments

Comment posted by John Tobias on July 8, 2012 at 8:36 AM

Nice shot of the elk. IMHO you should crop tighter. For me the flowers do not add to the image, if they were larger and more colorful I think they would. The elk seems nice and sharp and should handle the tighter crop. Thanks for sharing.

Registered on September 12, 2009, 2120 Posts, 6455 Comments

Comment posted by Carol Nichols on July 8, 2012 at 11:05 AM

Thanks for your responses. I have to agree with Phil and Vincent in that I have always thought the different colored layers of vegetation are what makes this image for me. With that in mind I wanted to preserve as much of the layers as possible when cropping the image. I did not intend for this photo to be a close-up of the elk, but more of an enviromental shot.

Registered on November 7, 2007, 161 Posts, 1420 Comments

Comment posted by Richard Teller on July 8, 2012 at 5:58 PM

I also think the crop is about right. It puts more focus on the elk, but still maintains the environment that the elk is in. We are always trying to get that great close up of an animal, but I tend to like the environmental shots.

Registered on August 23, 2010, 1162 Posts, 6692 Comments

Comment posted by Howard Cheek on July 29, 2012 at 8:35 AM

Looking at your original, I would compose this the same way Carol.
The layers of color change in the grasses does it for me in this shot

Registered on July 24, 2008, 1201 Posts, 10758 Comments