The Other Side of France

wbeem has added a photo to the pool:

One of the things that seems to spark intense debate among photographers is cropping. It seems like such a simple thing, but I’ve witnessed a few fierce arguments over how a photo should be cropped, or even if it should be cropped it all. Some people will become rather obstinate about how you screwed up with the original capture because you should’ve been closer, used a different lens, or any other number of excuses because you didn’t get the composition they wanted in-camera. It’s entertaining to watch if you aren’t involved.

People quote rules as if they were carved in stone. Never have your horizon on the middle, this would be better if it were composed by the Rule of Thirds or along Phi. Much like the Pirate Code, I think of these rules more as guidelines. They’re good advice, but you can ignore them if you want.

There is only one rule that I think is imperative. Create your photo to make yourself happy. I experimented with different cropping on this photo. No doubt, some folks would actually prefer one or two of the crops that I rejected. If they were paying me, I’d crop it any way they wanted and give them the result. Since I wasn’t paid to take this photo, I decided that the result I liked best is the one I composed. Critics will always be there, but that doesn’t mean you have to let them push you around.

Please visit the blog at williambeem.com