johnchamilton's photostream  

Ah, where to crop? It can be a vexing question. Really, it boils down to two factors: your artistic/editorial intent, and filling the frame as much as possible with your subject.

In "Black Spot," I originally cropped the action to show the entire cowboy and bull. If my intent had been to show proper bull-riding form, then this would be quite acceptable. But zooming in, I realized that, artistically, I was much more interested in the crowd interaction. Since this was a family-matinee performance, as an editorial director I would lean toward this view as well. It tells a better story. And as a bonus, the entire frame is filled with action and subject matter. It has more visual impact. Either crop is okay, but the tighter photo is simply a stronger photograph.

Thanks for visiting, friends!

Mining the archives today. This is a frame from the 2010 Hamel Rodeo, in Corcoran, MN, the Saturday family matinee.

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Action from the 2011 Hamel Rodeo, Corcoran, MN.

Moonset over the Panamint Range in Death Valley National Park, California. I shot this at Zabriskie Point, looking to the southwest, as the sun peeked over the horizon behind me. You can kind of see the positioning of the mountains and moon from my previous posting, a color panorama from this same spot. Totally different feel. This is a re-worked version of a frame I'd posted a couple years ago.

Dawn at Zabriskie Point, Death Valley National Park, California.