Photo Editing

Com 365

Newspaper Design & Layout

Cropping

• Can enhance a photo by getting rid of parts that detract

• Can harm a photo when done without thinking and also detract from message

• Photos should never be used to fill a predetermined shape

The casual look on the face at right contrasts with message of concern and disappointment in the rest of the photo. The suggested crop conveys a clearer, stronger message.

Picasso’s animal-like sculpture hovering over the traveling zoo exhibit is the point of the photo at left. Insensitive cropping below turns it into an ordinary picture of visitors to the exhibit.

The photographer cropped closely in the camera to catch the apprehension of a five-year-old confronting his first day of school. The photo was cropped even more in the darkroom, bottom right.

Cropping off the two players to the right emphasizes the action and eliminates a lot of the floor, wall and ceiling which contribute nothing to the picture.

When a narrow vertical or horizontal shape is appropriate to the content, it can attract more attention to a regular rectangular shape. In both of these photos the narrow shape is important to the message and composition.

The photographer brought a fresh viewpoint to the sometimes cliché weather picture of sunbathers and provided an opportunity to a narrow horizontal shape.

Long an narrow cropping emphasizes the follow-the-leader line to the bus, which is the point of the photo.

The testimony of this witness in a murder trial had high local interest. However the five inches of blank wall on the left and two on the right don’t really seem add to the picture’s message.

In this whispered conference, the background, which occupies nearly half the picture, contributes little to the viewers’ understanding or appreciation of the situation. Cropping closer would emphasize this intriguing private moment more and add to the impact.

The point of this photo is that not many people showed up to the game. Cropping in tighter would detract from that message -- the emptiness of the stadium would be less apparent.

The headline and caption emphasize the importance of vertical ears when judging mules. The caption reads “Dwayne Russel yells in an effort to persuade his mule to perk up its ears… In miniature mule-judging, vertical ears are considered a plus and mule owners yell, kick and scream to get their mules’ ears to take notice.”

Original photo included the mule’s ears.

Cropping / sports

• Editing guidelines– Don’t crop action photos into mug shots– Don’t amputate!!!

• Be sensitive to arms, legs• As a general rule, leave body parts all in, or all

out

To save space some editors cropped tennis player Jimmy Connors’ racquet arm, right. The top photo is better, but includes parts of chairs and nonessential space below his arm.

This crop works best--the racquet balances his gestures and reinforces Connors’ identity as a tennis player.

Careless cropping at right creates a poorly composed photo that takes away weights from the weightlifter. The text below the photo is too long. It’s a story, not a caption.

Pairs

• Sometimes paired or packaged photos can convey information more effectively than a single photo

• If not a sequence, usually more effective to use size contrast

• Don’t have to use two photos just because they are available

The overhead view and distinct shadow are strong graphically; one photo shows action, the other the gymnast's face. Here, two photos are better than one.

Two photos are necessary to tell this story visually, one to show the neighbors who helped an injured farmer by harvesting his crop and the other to show the farmer.

The headline includes the title of the well-known photo by Dorthea Lange, but few would recognize the women in the hospital bed. Using the 1936 photo established immediate identity for the bedridden women.

An amputee tries out his new legs under the supervision of a physical therapist. The smaller photo doesn’t add anything that the larger photo doesn’t show.

The well-composed photo of the organist for the California Angels baseball team combines subject, organ and playing field. The insert doesn’t show the keyboard and hands any better.

Since the face of the rider is so clearly visible in the action photo, it is unnecessary to include a portrait of the girl and horse.

Redundant portraits dilute impact, waste space. The cigar-smoking portrait is a good photo, but not nearly as impactful as the successful businessman behind his desk with the spectacular view from his office. If the office photo was used larger, you wouldn’t need the second photo.

The only intent here was to get portraits; thus various poses, settings and camera angles. At most you could use two photos here effectively--the large photo of the man and wife, and one of just the man alone.

Photo sequences

• Used when one photo can’t really document what has occurred (“tell the story”)

• Work best if framing is the same from photo to photo

• Use in chronological order, the same size

Anticipation and good camera position enabled K.C. Wong to catch Senator John Tower refusing to the handshake of his challenger, Representative Bob Kruegar. Identical framing draws attention to the gestures and expressions.

Viewers can anticipate the passing of the apple when they see the raised hand in the first photo. It’s not necessary to see the apple move from hand to hand since readers will mentally bridge the time gap between bites.

The middle photo is needed in this sequence because it’s important to see the man racing to beat the timer and get into the picture. The first photo is simply a man taking a picture of a group, the second explains the man’s intent and the third shows that he beat the clock. The single point of view allows the photos to be aligned vertically for a quick read.