# POLL: Do you crop (and why)?



## Marsu42 (Sep 11, 2014)

I've been told real photogs don't crop. Is this a remnant of over 60 years old from the good old analog film days? I are these clueless youngsters simply not able to frame in camera?

I've tried to include all possible reasons for (not) cropping I can imagine, I hope it's not too much clutter. If I still should have forgotten something or simply voting is too limited feel free to elaborate in the thread!

This is a re-issue of an older discussion thread of mine, but now as a poll. I hope a lot of people vote again, I find these results very interesting to get an idea about how other people work.


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## -hh (Sep 11, 2014)

IMO, there's 101 reasons _to_ crop. 

The survey goes into a few of them, but a lot of what it ultimately comes down to is that during post-processing, you may see an opportunity to see the scene differently, which is enabled by cropping. Sometimes it might be to make the image tighter, and sometimes it might be more radical, such as changing a landscape to a portrait, or vice versa. 

Similarly, with different sized media outputs having different ratios (1:1.4, 1:1.5, etc), for critical work, it is IMO much more important for the creator to control what crop is going to occur, rather than to have the lab do it for him.

If we turn to some of photography's legends....we'll often find that the likes of Ansel Adams regularly cropped (and lots of other post-processing manipulations); it is just another tool in the tool box. 

-hh


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## neuroanatomist (Sep 11, 2014)

It mostly depends on what I'm shooting. Deliberate, tripod shots I almost never crop – there's time to level the camera and compose carefully. Shooting action, I sometimes crop but usually just rotation to level. I definitely crop to print at various aspect ratios. 

The other reason I sometimes crop, one not listed in your poll but could be considered as part of aspect ratio, is cropping to change orientation (landscape to portrait or the reverse).


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## AcutancePhotography (Sep 11, 2014)

Crop zooming and fine tuning composition are two reasons I crop. 

Are there really any photographers who *never* crop? 

Cropping is just another one of the many Post Processing tools we have. I use it when approprate.


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## Reiep (Sep 11, 2014)

I love to compose in 16/9 or 2,35:1 in order to give a more cinematographic feeling to my pictures, so I crop often. BUT I try to do the majority of the job from the camera. The less to crop the better.


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## Marsu42 (Sep 11, 2014)

neuroanatomist said:


> The other reason I sometimes crop, one not listed in your poll but could be considered as part of aspect ratio, is cropping to change orientation (landscape to portrait or the reverse).



That's indeed ar like 2:3 -> 3:2. And it discards a lot of pixels, so with the current resolution I'd rather shoot two frames right away if the subject hasn't flown or run away in the meantime.
.


AcutancePhotography said:


> Are there really any photographers who *never* crop?



Well, there is one particular guy I've often met in my very early photography days who told me lots of facts I now now are just opinions. The most prominent advice was to never crop other than minor adjustments, because pros don't do it and no one will take me seriously, ever. But then he was shooting zoo animals in cages who sit on the same spot day in day out which helps framing.



Reiep said:


> I love to compose in 16/9 or 2,35:1



I do 16:9 or 16:10 for wallpapers which means leaving a lot of space on top/bottom to be cut away, or the framing will be too tight to be still visually pleasing.


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## neuroanatomist (Sep 11, 2014)

AcutancePhotography said:


> Are there really any photographers who *never* crop?



I'm sure there are plenty of Nikon and Sony shooters who never crop, because of the Commandment: Thou shalt not doeth anything which defiles the Perfection that is Exmor. 

For us poor, benighted Canon shooters starting with such poor images, making them a little worse really doesn't matter.


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## DRR (Sep 11, 2014)

Marsu42 said:


> I've been told real photogs don't crop.



EVERYONE who makes blanket statements are WRONG. 

Seriously though, I stop listening when someone says "real photographers...." followed by some statement because truly it's always incorrect. There is no one way to do things and I can't believe that people can't understand that.

"Real photographers don't crop."
"Real photographers shoot film."
"Real photographers get it all right in camera."
"Real photographers use full frame."
"Real photographers only use primes."
"Real photographers need an optical viewfinder."

etc etc.

Me? I crop. Mostly to fine tune composition, but other times to fix my poor initial composition. I'm happy to admit that I don't always get it right in camera. I'd rather have a great shot that I had to crop, than adhere to some useless elitist ideal of "i never crop."

I do shoot primes, and one of the tradeoffs for faster lenses that I love is that I lose the versatility of zooming. Thankfully I account for this when shooting, and I know that I have a little flexibility to crop in post if I need to. I'd rather get the shot and crop, than lose the shot.


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## ajfotofilmagem (Sep 11, 2014)

I crop just need to adjust the aspect ratio, or to zoom to a maximum of 10%. If I need to approach 50%, means that I usai the wrong lens for the shot. ??? :


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## Zv (Sep 11, 2014)

I shoot handheld a lot so composition and leveling are always a little off and need fixing via crop tool. Not all my images are cropped though, sometimes I take my time in camera and it pays off. 

I also crop a landscape shot into portrait orientation on occasion. I recently did this with a series of group shots where I just left the camera in landscape orientation on the tripod, mostly to minimize fiddling about time during the event. I didn't want to break up the flow we had goin! (Was a freebie gig for a friend).

I think the crop tool is my most used item in Lr outside of the basic edits. Lights out crop is also great using the overlays. Top tip - press O key to toggle overlays when using crop tool.


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## bigdaddy (Sep 11, 2014)

Fro Knows Photos never crops. 8) But he is a Nikon fan. I'm not going to include a link so he can get free linkjuice from CR. Google is your friend. 

Peace!


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## distant.star (Sep 11, 2014)

.
Coming out of the world of print media, this question is like asking if you breathe.

The most interesting "crop" I ever saw... A manufacturing company sent me a PR pic of their product mounted to a truck. They had used an X-acto knife to cut out the name of the trucking company on the side of the truck, leaving a hole in the print. Media relations had a long way to go in those days!


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## Trovador (Sep 11, 2014)

Sure, if needed, because...why not?.


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## Marsu42 (Sep 11, 2014)

Trovador said:


> Sure, if needed, because...why not?.



Probably lower resolution = less sharpness & higher noise level?

If you're packing a $10k tele prime or a 24-70L2 on a ff sensor, cropping might not deminish iq - but for the rest of us like /me with a 17-40L & 70-300L, the lens' sharpness is only so-so and severe cropping really shows as you cannot "downsize-sharpen" that much.


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## pdirestajr (Sep 11, 2014)

I don't crop when I shoot slides. Digital is easier to crop


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## LDS (Sep 11, 2014)

It's absolutely false pro photographers don't crop. Sure, if you shoot in studio or can frame carefully you usually don't. If you're a photojournalist, you may don't want to crop because of the implied "image manipulation" (but framing itself is also manipulating reality to some extent).

But there are many reason to crop when needed - because the final image requires a different aspect ratio, because you couldn't frame the way you wanted, because the image becomes more expressive. 

It was a basic darkroom technique as well. Cropping is just a tool, like a longer lense or different sensor size/aspect ratio. It's non an excuse for being lazy while shooting, but it's not something to avoid at all cost.


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## RLPhoto (Sep 11, 2014)

You have to crop if your publishing. Layouts vary in aspect ratio and that's why i'm slowly coming to love the 4:3 aspect ratio more and starting to dislike the 3:2 ratio.


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Sep 11, 2014)

Marsu42 said:


> I've been told real photogs don't crop. Is this a remnant of over 60 years old from the good old analog film days? I are these clueless youngsters simply not able to frame in camera?
> 
> I've tried to include all possible reasons for (not) cropping I can imagine, I hope it's not too much clutter. If I still should have forgotten something or simply voting is too limited feel free to elaborate in the thread!
> 
> This is a re-issue of an older discussion thread of mine, but now as a poll. I hope a lot of people vote again, I find these results very interesting to get an idea about how other people work.



I always leave room to straighten and crop. there is little reason to spend additional time getting the composition perfect. Then, as you noted, some images are fleeting, and spending 5 minutes getting every thing perfect is not a option.

In the days of glass plates and contact prints, cropping was not a option, you printed exactly what was on the plate. When film came along, cropping was a expensive option, if you used a commercial printer, it took a couple of trips to get what you wanted. If you had your own darlroom, it was easier, but still more difficult than spending the 5 minutes.

Now, the cost of the image is nothing, and 30 seconds in post production will straighten and crop. Of course, I spend more time than that, because I also tweak many other things.

It takes about 6 mp to get a good printable image at 8 X 10, so a 20+mp image can be cropped a lot.


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## Famateur (Sep 11, 2014)

Never understood the "I never crop" mentality myself.

For me, a photograph is about what's pleasing to my eye. Composition and framing are a big part of that, and while I'm always intentional in my composition when shooting, an artistic eye will often "see" a variety of pleasing alternatives after the fact.

"Create Virtual Copy" is my friend, and I often use it just to produce different images with differing crops...


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## Besisika (Sep 11, 2014)

DRR said:


> Marsu42 said:
> 
> 
> > I've been told real photogs don't crop.
> ...


+1
My brother in soul, nice to meet you!


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## AcutancePhotography (Sep 11, 2014)

I thought it was that "real photographers" don't use AF or exposure metering. ;D


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## Famateur (Sep 11, 2014)

AcutancePhotography said:


> I thought it was that "real photographers" don't use AF or exposure metering. ;D



Nor zoom lenses!


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## AcutancePhotography (Sep 11, 2014)

Real photographers use wet-plates 8)


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## mackguyver (Sep 11, 2014)

Sorry to criticize another poll of yours Marsu, but the only answer anyone should reasonably give is - it depends. If you can capture without cropping, that's great, but as others point out, you still might need to crop for output. So the answer for the poll is, no, I don't crop if I can get my framing perfect and output at 3:2, but yes, I crop if I need tighter focus on the subject, need to crop out an extraneous detail, or output in any size/format other than 3:2.


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## infared (Sep 11, 2014)

yes...of course I do...I do the best I can when I am shooting...but many times once I look at the final product in Photoshop, Lightroom, DXO...or one of the many...I make adjustments. I have no shame in it and make absolutely no excuses for it!
Oh..and I use B&W MRC, Clear, Nano filters on ALL my lenses except my Canon Fisheye and 17mm TSE....so if you want to dice me up..you can now do it all at once! 
...oh..but ...wait...you have to show me examples of your photography BEFORE you say one word about MY preferences, so that I get to judge who is scolding me!!!!!!! ;D ??? : :'(

(YES, I cropped the image!)


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## Nick Gombinsky (Sep 11, 2014)

Real photographers know each and every tool at their disposal and know how and when to use them. Cropping is a tool. Primes are tools, as well as zooms. Full frame and crop are different tools.

I myself am a amateur photographer, but a professional cinematographer. I've used many different cameras for different jobs. Sometimes primes, sometimes zooms, sometimes a lot of gear, sometimes little gear. I use what I need to get the job done, and to get the most out of it.
Sometimes a camera with a small sensor is better for the task at hand, sometimes not. Its all relative to each job.

Phrases like "real photographers do this" stating there is only one way, are crap. There are many ways to get to the same result. The more you know, the better you get at simplifying it.


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## RLPhoto (Sep 11, 2014)

infared said:


> yes...of course I do...I do the best I can when I am shooting...but many times once I look at the final product in Photoshop, Lightroom, DXO...or one of the many...I make adjustments. I have no shame in it and make absolutely no excuses for it!
> Oh..and I use B&W MRC, Clear, Nano filters on ALL my lenses except my Canon Fisheye and 17mm TSE....so if you want to dice me up..you can now do it all at once!
> ...oh..but ...wait...you have to show me examples of your photography BEFORE you say one word about MY preferences, so that I get to judge who is scolding me!!!!!!! ;D ??? : :'(
> 
> (YES, I cropped the image!)


Your photo doesn't have at least 14 Stops of DR in a single image with the shadows perfectly clean with lifted +3 stops and isn't at least 36MP. : : : : : : :


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## infared (Sep 11, 2014)

RLPhoto said:


> infared said:
> 
> 
> > yes...of course I do...I do the best I can when I am shooting...but many times once I look at the final product in Photoshop, Lightroom, DXO...or one of the many...I make adjustments. I have no shame in it and make absolutely no excuses for it!
> ...



You didn't include a photo...wait..YOUR avatar is proof enough!!!!!!!
You missed your chance attacking my filter use?????? 8)


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## Marsu42 (Sep 11, 2014)

mackguyver said:


> Sorry to criticize another poll of yours Marsu, but the only answer anyone should reasonably give is - it depends.



With these kind of quick polls having members do some drive-by voting, you have to reduce complexity. That's not necessarily a bad thing, because if adding complexity, big explanations and disclaimers you're also introducing a bias as many people will simply ignore the whole thing.

But I keep tweaking these polls, this time at least I've added more options than usual and multiple votes. For example I voted "no: max. resolution" and 2x "yes: ..." to cover my personal "it depends" list. The question is if we can get any valid or interesting information out of these polls, and I reckon we can.


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## mackguyver (Sep 11, 2014)

Marsu42 said:


> mackguyver said:
> 
> 
> > Sorry to criticize another poll of yours Marsu, but the only answer anyone should reasonably give is - it depends.
> ...


I certainly understand and I might not be a typical photographer, either. I'm in the middle of analyzing the results of a huge survey for my day job. The questions left a lot of interpretation and people seemingly found 12 different ways to say the same things. Now I have to combine it all to make sense of it. Surveys are tough, but they do give useful results and generate some good discussion for sure!


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## Steve (Sep 11, 2014)

I Bird Photo Therefore I Crop


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## Marsu42 (Sep 11, 2014)

mackguyver said:


> Surveys are tough, but they do give useful results and generate some good discussion for sure!



I don't know if I mentioned it, but I've studied Sociology (like in 5 years university, diploma (above the nowadays "master") and all). And most of my studies were empirical social research: designing surveys, pulling data from 3rd party panels, composing composite variables and computing with SPSS. This left me rather critical of the validity of *any* quantitative studies because no matter how you design them, you're introducing biases left and right in any case. Of course we scientists usually don't say so, it's generating our income after all 

Unless you triple-check the internal validity, compare with other studies (external validity) and the whole thing fits into a theory (construct validity) it's hit-or-miss anyway, so I'm not hindered by simplicity. Imho you can only be confident about results if combined with qualitative aspects and even hermeneutics. But few people are able to do all these together. And even if, nobody is willing to pay for such extended research. But don't be deterred, I'm sure your survey will result in some numbers you can transform into nice diagrams :->


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## distant.star (Sep 11, 2014)

.
Nice. Always a treat to see one of your images!! Thanks.





infared said:


> yes...of course I do...I do the best I can when I am shooting...but many times once I look at the final product in Photoshop, Lightroom, DXO...or one of the many...I make adjustments. I have no shame in it and make absolutely no excuses for it!
> Oh..and I use B&W MRC, Clear, Nano filters on ALL my lenses except my Canon Fisheye and 17mm TSE....so if you want to dice me up..you can now do it all at once!
> ...oh..but ...wait...you have to show me examples of your photography BEFORE you say one word about MY preferences, so that I get to judge who is scolding me!!!!!!! ;D ??? : :'(
> 
> (YES, I cropped the image!)


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## Tanispyre (Sep 11, 2014)

Most of my cropping is to fix a bad horizon line or to change aspect ratios. Other than that I try and frame everything as close as possible to how I want the final image to be, but a lot of that is habit, I am an old Chrome shooter, and I get the biggest pleasure trying to get the perfect image straight out of camera.


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## mackguyver (Sep 11, 2014)

Marsu42 said:


> mackguyver said:
> 
> 
> > Surveys are tough, but they do give useful results and generate some good discussion for sure!
> ...


I didn't realize your background was in Sociology, but now I understand your interest in polling. I took a few courses in college - not like you of course, but enough to learn about the Milgram experiment and the Stanford prison experiment which I found fascinating.

In the United States, we have a saying about polls: Lies, damned lies, and statistics

Or to quote the famous Scot, Andrew Lang, "He uses statistics as a drunken man uses lampposts - for support rather than for illumination."


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## m (Sep 11, 2014)

From all the possible directions to point your camera at, ...
From all the possible positions to place your camera, ...
From all the possible focal lengths, ...
From all the hopefully many moments that make up your lifetime, ...
etc.

... you only pick a single one when taking an image.

How can throwing away pixels in post processing be an issue if one throws away so much else before?


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## jdramirez (Sep 11, 2014)

Indifferent because I wasn't going to get one anyway.


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## RLPhoto (Sep 11, 2014)

infared said:


> RLPhoto said:
> 
> 
> > infared said:
> ...


I could attack your filter use... :| I use filter on all my lenses.


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## surapon (Sep 11, 2014)

Marsu42 said:


> I've been told real photogs don't crop. Is this a remnant of over 60 years old from the good old analog film days? I are these clueless youngsters simply not able to frame in camera?
> 
> I've tried to include all possible reasons for (not) cropping I can imagine, I hope it's not too much clutter. If I still should have forgotten something or simply voting is too limited feel free to elaborate in the thread!
> 
> This is a re-issue of an older discussion thread of mine, but now as a poll. I hope a lot of people vote again, I find these results very interesting to get an idea about how other people work.




Dear Friend Marsu.
Thanks for the Great Post like this, that will make all of us share our thinking----Yes, or NO, No one care, Just try to do the best Photos that we Love as the Hobby/ Or The PRO of som of our dear friends.
Here are my Great Teacher's Words about 10 years already :

"RULES OF PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHERS ( THE " PRO " ) : ______1 ) NEVER LET ANYONE ELSE SEE YOUR SO/SO OR BAD PHOTOGRAPHS. (MISS UNIVERSE NEVER LET ANYONE SEE HERSELF WITH OUT MAKE-UP WHEN SHE WAKE UP IN THE MORNING) _____2) FIXED/ POST PROCESSING FOR SO/SO OR BAD PHOTOS AND CHANGE TO GOOD PICTURES( That Include Croping too---Ha, Ha, Ha)._____ 3) REAL" PRO" NEVER HAVE BAD PICTURES, BUT HE/SHE CAN FIXED THE BAD ONE TO BE SO/SO--GOOD PIC.____ 4) REAL "PRO" CAN SHOOT THE PHOTOS AND GET ONLY 3-5% AS THE GREAT MASTERPIECES.____ 5) ALL PHOTOGRAPHERS CAN BE "PRO" IF THEY CAN TRAIN, LEARN AND IMPROVE THEIR TECHNIQUE/ ARTISTIC ABILITY . ____AND SO ARE YOU, YOU CAN BE THE "PRO" IF YOU TRY HARDER."

Enjoy.
Surapon


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## Northbird (Sep 11, 2014)

As a bird photographer I find I do occasional crops even with the 600 F4 II. Sometimes you just can't get close enough with skittish avian targets.


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## Trovador (Sep 11, 2014)

Marsu42 said:


> Trovador said:
> 
> 
> > Sure, if needed, because...why not?.
> ...



Well the question didn't involve the word "severe" in it nor it specified cropping to the point of ruining the image which of course is counterproductive and never needed. I guess I should've said, "if needed (and up to a point)...why not?".

This image was made with a 7D , which is not known for being noise free, and a 10-22 at 11mm... it was cropped about 20% because at the end I didn't like the right part of the composition as much as when I shot it...I had no problem printing it at 40x56'' and hanging it in the wall of a museum for an art biennale. There's plenty of margin before you effectively ruin an image if the image is good to begin with.

http://www.ruddyflorentino.com/#!untitled/zoom/cl3g/imagejup


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## infared (Sep 11, 2014)

RLPhoto said:


> infared said:
> 
> 
> > RLPhoto said:
> ...




LOL!!!! Then you REALLY couldn't attack my filter use!!!!


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## RLPhoto (Sep 11, 2014)

infared said:


> RLPhoto said:
> 
> 
> > infared said:
> ...


Filters are terrible and for newbies like yourself. *slowly starts to unscrew my filters. ;D ;D ;D


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## Xero (Sep 11, 2014)

Always. I shoot for a safety margin sometimes, give my subject some room then bring it in. I crop video, I crop photo, I'd crop my own mother. Because I can always make a shot better in post, and if you don't think so you are old and need a new computer.


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## ifp (Sep 12, 2014)

Marsu42 said:


> Probably lower resolution = less sharpness & higher noise level?
> 
> If you're packing a $10k tele prime or a 24-70L2 on a ff sensor, cropping might not deminish iq - but for the rest of us like /me with a 17-40L & 70-300L, the lens' sharpness is only so-so and severe cropping really shows as you cannot "downsize-sharpen" that much.



I find I crop mostly at the telephoto end, especially after upgrading to the 5d3 from the 6d since I have usable AF points outside the center.

As for the 70-300, it's supposed to be better than the 100-400. I found my 100-400 to be acceptably sharp at 1:1, so I wonder if your AFMA is off or perhaps you're not using a high enough shutter speed.


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## viggen61 (Sep 12, 2014)

Steve said:


> I Bird Photo Therefore I Crop


Amen to that!

I voted yes (other) because I crop for many reasons. Focal length, BIF, etc.


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## pwp (Sep 12, 2014)

Vote: Yes (other) 

The "real photographers never crop" school was born out of the perceived tiny 35mm film limitations, a genuine reality for photographers some time last century transitioning from medium or large format film, which was very croppable. 

But it's never cut and dried. Your post-pro which includes cropping will be dictated by the needs of the project. My most common crop would be a simple straighten, then maybe a slight crop to lose a distracting element at the edge of frame (sometimes I use Content Aware Fill instead) all the way to a substantial crop which just makes the published image a stronger composition. Or you may need to fit a shape dictated to by a designer. Often a brief will specify shooting loose to allow design-stage cropping flexibility or leaving room for text, mastheads and so on.

There are a million valid reasons to crop. But there are no excuses for careless composition and framing.

-pw


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## infared (Sep 12, 2014)

distant.star said:


> .
> Nice. Always a treat to see one of your images!! Thanks.
> 
> 
> ...



Thanks! Thought I would throw in a little color to the discussion!


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## dolina (Sep 12, 2014)

My lense aint long enough.


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## infared (Sep 12, 2014)

RLPhoto said:


> infared said:
> 
> 
> > RLPhoto said:
> ...



Good to have a little fun!
I have the UPS man bringing me a new 77mm B&W clear Nano coated for my new Sigma 50mm Art 2moro!! ;D


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## Famateur (Sep 12, 2014)

Another reason to crop: Sometimes something other than a "standard" aspect ratio is most compelling for the image.

I'm a big fan of the Golden Ratio, but sometimes an extreme crop (thinking very narrow and tall, or the opposite -- very wide and short) can suit an image nicely. With all the megapixels we have these days, you can do that and still print quite large. Add a custom mat and frame, and you have something interesting on the wall that stands out from all the other standard rectangles...


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## Mitch.Conner (Sep 14, 2014)

I try not to, but it depends on the circumstances. I will if I have to, or if I'm otherwise strongly inclined with an image. The most often reason is the image getting automatically cropped in LR when rotating it slightly to adjust the horizon. This isn't an issue when shooting on a tripod, but handheld it can be.


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## Marsu42 (Sep 14, 2014)

Mitch.Conner said:


> The most often reason is the image getting automatically cropped in LR when rotating it slightly to adjust the horizon.



This is one of the very few issues I have with LR (and why I have to use PS sometimes): If you rotate in LR, the image gets automatically cropped and there's no way to extend the canvas at the edges. With the content aware heal brush, it's no problem to fill some edge areas and keep more original pixels - but LR doesn't allow for that :-(. Maybe in LR6? LR7?


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## TexPhoto (Sep 15, 2014)

I shoot the best image I can depending on the situation.

I crop if needed to get the best image for content and the application.

I don't know what the golden ratio is, I know about, but avoid the shower.


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## pwp (Sep 15, 2014)

Marsu42 said:


> Mitch.Conner said:
> 
> 
> > The most often reason is the image getting automatically cropped in LR when rotating it slightly to adjust the horizon.
> ...



Make the request at the Adobe Lightroom Feature request page. They need feedback. It's an easy find. 
While you're there, add a request for "show focus points".

-pw


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## JimKarczewski (Sep 15, 2014)

Sports, even with a 300 and 1.4x TC (when I can use it) still need tight cropping for publication. They don't want a lot of crap in the photo that's not important to the action, so cropping is an evil necessity unless someone wants to buy me a 400/2.8II and a 600/4II.. and a 200/2 while I'm at it.


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## Maximilian (Sep 15, 2014)

pwp said:


> Vote: Yes (other)
> 
> The "real photographers never crop" school was born out of the perceived tiny 35mm film limitations, a genuine reality for photographers some time last century transitioning from medium or large format film, which was very croppable.
> 
> ...


That's almost 100% my explaination for croping as well. 
So I decided to quote this and say thank you to the author.


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## Northstar (Sep 15, 2014)

JimKarczewski said:


> Sports, even with a 300 and 1.4x TC (when I can use it) still need tight cropping for publication. They don't want a lot of crap in the photo that's not important to the action, so cropping is an evil necessity unless someone wants to buy me a 400/2.8II and a 600/4II.. and a 200/2 while I'm at it.



+1


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## Dick (Sep 15, 2014)

Yep. I crop. Have to do it with macro shots when the subjects are slightly too small for the full framing. Then there is also servo... I tend to leave space around subjects to avoid limbs from being cut off. Focal length limitations don't usually lead into cropping, as the images in those cases won't end up looking good anyway. Sometimes there is no other option though.


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## 123Photog (Sep 15, 2014)

Marsu42 said:


> I've been told real photogs don't crop. Is this a remnant of over 60 years old from the good old analog film days? I are these clueless youngsters simply not able to frame in camera?



real photogs shoot B&W and sure not with digital cameras.


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## ejenner (Sep 26, 2014)

I mostly crop for composition (not an option in the POLL I might add). Occasionally because I want to rotate a tad - even if I was using a tripod.

I often compose a landscape shot and think in the field about how I'm going to crop it and then think about the 'best' composition to give be some room in case I change my mind or want to adjust the crop slightly.

I always crop to the aspect ratio I think suits the image. I might tweak it a bit for printing, but won't force it too much.

For family/fun stuff - kids sports etc.. where I'm not likely to print more than 8x10 I frame loose and crop to make sure I get the shot without 1/2 arm missing or something. 20MP is more than enough for that.


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