The Cropping Game

We've been working on some topics where thinking is involved and well, I think we all deserve a break. So, let's all focus on some fun and a lot less thought! Yahooey!

When it comes to capturing great images of our kids, anything goes really. It's kind of like my philosophy on life. Do whatever works. Simple enough. When I got my first job as a photographer (did I ever tell you that story?) I was basically given a camera and the instruction, "Do what YOU do." OK then. I think most of all, I appreciated the confidence that my boss displayed. It felt great. He set up the camera and the lights (when we were in the studio) and just told me to go for it. I will admit, it wasn't as fun as it might sound. Not at first anyway. There were days I would take my lunch break and sob into my sandwich because I was so overwhelmed. Seriously, I had ZERO training and was being thrown into situations where I had to act as if I knew what I was doing with families who trusted that I could take great pictures of their children. And I was young, AND a woman so people often questioned my ability. And weddings?? Don't even get me started on that pressure. I still can't believe I didn't self-combust.

But as my know-how slowly grew, so did my confidence. I began to notice that not only was I doing a good job, I had my own flair for this gig. My own style. The funny part was, parents loved it, but that wasn't the case with all other photographers. They didn't alwasy "get" my artistic nature. I found out, by looking at the consistency of my work that I was a cropping fool. Cropping off the tops of heads, to be exact. I look back now at my work from 'way back when' and so many of what I consider the "perfect" shots have the children's heads cropped off. Not totally. Please, it's not a creepy thing. It was just enough to draw you in to the beauty, honesty, and purity of the child's face. I swear, I didn't even know I was doing it. It was my instinctual way of framing my subjects. My view and interpretation of the child. It became part of my "signature" style. Thankfully, the parents did love it but sometimes it eluded the 'professionals' around me. My boss approved (thankfully) but some of the others wondered why. If you have to ask why then in my mind, you just don't get it. There doesn't have to be a why. It's a matter of an effective image. No why. Just beauty.

So, in the next week or two I am going to highlight a few fun and effective tricks you can try in regards to cropping techniques. This should make our Flickr Pool really splashy! And don't think too much. It is summer vacation, after all.

Comments

[Kelly Bera]

I really appreciated the little mini-history on your start in photography. I've done a few shots for friends and one wedding and felt exactly the way you described -like I was not qualified for this, and I feared disappointing pictures. Its nice to know that I could still have a future in this!
I'm very excitied to see what kind of cropping techniques you have in mind for this week!!

[Michelle aka Pixie Dreams]

I too appreciated the insight on your start in photography...Thanks!

[Colleen]

I accidentally left off the top of my daughter's head in a shot I took last week. But, once I cropped the bottom of the shot and changed it to black and white it turned into a real keeper. Funny how accidents and a little helpful cropping can turn a nice photo into something that's much more memorable.