To Crop or not to Crop

steve cottis

steve cottis

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Edit My Images
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So I took this shot and posted it on a Facebook photography page and had several comments about cropping it to put the windows central it the shot. The critique doesn't bother me after all that's partly the reason I posted it. I put them off centre deliberately as they are spaced symmetrically and on the same level. In order to break the shot up and the plants raised to the right I put the windows off centre. what do you think.

windows by Steve J Cottis, on Flickr
 
Possibly a very slight crop and rotate to get the brick line along the top of the shot level and the vertical brick joint (which is slightly staggered) to the right just cropped out.

OR, (having zoomed in to do a quick and dirty crop type thing) crop so the windows are symmetrical in the frame (L-R) but on the top third line.

Having said that, I like the shot as it is too.
 
I can see a possible crop from all edges except one that would place the windows symmetrically, which is definitely ruled out for me by the plants bottom right. But the image exactly as posted is the strongest for me, as conveying the clearest meaning.
 
i cant remember the last time i cropped a shot - much prefer to get the framing right in the viewfinder - in the days of film i would get prints back from the developer but never recall getting out scissors and snipping bits of the print away
 
I like it as it is. It's balanced already as there's more vegetation to the right, as Stephen said.
 
Yep. It looks 'right' as it is.
 
The composition isn't entirely in repose but it may be as good as it can get. Is the green tint of the painted brick as it was, or is your white balance off?
 
For me pictures like this are about flattening space. In this case the out of focus plants to the right add depth and distracting. A pity because other plants, colours, textures and window contents have the making of a really nice picture. Close one eye and cover the bottom right with your hand and you might see what I mean.
 
I like it as it is, but as Nod suggests, a very slight rotation to bring the bottom edge of the frames in alignment might be worth trying.
I might also try cropping about 6 courses of bricks off the top, so the frames are not so central horizontally.
 
Thanks for all the comments it does seem to be 50/50 I have tried all the suggestions but I still personally like it as is. the only one I cant seem to see is the small rotation (I know my eyesight is going) I have levelled it in lightroom, perhaps I could of clipped it a shade more on the top edge so the top was not so close to the brick course line and the white balance I tried tweaking it but I prefer the off white tint but all comment much appreciated thanks for taking the time.
 
I like it just as it is Steve, the only thing i'm not sure about is the crimson line in the bottom RH corner. Not quite sure what it is but my eye keeps getting drawn to it...
All the best
Steve
 
I agree with the top heavy comment. Go with your instinct though - there's no right or wrong here.
 
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