Crop That Photograph

Posted by frankb on Dec 18, 2009 in Creative Photography Blog | 0 comments

I have discussed in other blogs about getting the best out of your best photograph. Here I go again. If you are going to have an enlargement made to hang in your home or in a room, you will want to get the best out of if.

Once you have selected the photo, decide if the photograph should be cropped to enhance it even more. Crop the photograph so that you are getting the best out of it…that is what YOU think is the best out of it. Do not consider final size of the photograph at this time.

Now, that you have the photograph cropped,decide what size you would like it to be. Keep in mind that the “box” stores processing centers can only give you predetermine sizes, like 5×7, 8×10, 11×14, etc. Ifyour cropped photograph will work in one of these prederminded dizes, that is good. You can have your enlargement made at a “box” sotre.

But if does not, and you would perfer a photograph that is 14 inches wide in size, the cropped photograph may end up being less than 11 inches, say nine inches. Your answer will be to have a custom lab, which can be found in all photography magazines, make your print. There is one other option: you can ask the “box” store if they can make the photograph 14 inches wide and give you some white space at both the top and bottom of the print. Some may be able to do that…others not.

Your 9×14 enlargement should go into a 16×20 frame. You can have a custom mat cut for your photograph which will accommodate the photograph and will fit into a 16×20 frame and you are done. Do not have a mat or frame that is too small to really show off your photograph. I have done that too many times.

O.K., you get the idea. Now, I have included with this blog a couple of photographs from the Indian Pow Wow…the same one which featured a dancer in the Photo of The Week. I am showing you the original photograph and the final cropped version of each.