Cauca Valley

[Andres Bonilla]

I was wondering if I should crop the foreground a bit or if I should leave it alone. Any suggestions?

Andres

[wolfnowl]

Tough call.  I can see it both ways.  As it is, the darkness in the grass balances the darkness in the clouds.  But if you were to cut maybe 20% of the height off the bottom, it would create a different look entirely as there is some distraction in the grass stems at the extreme forefront.  

I realize that doesn't help much, but I can see merit in both approaches.

Mike.

[Don Libby]

Tough call.  I like what I feel by seeing the image as is.  This is a good example of an image within an image just by cropping.  Bottom line is this: Is the image as it is what you felt when you took it?

[Eric Myrvaagnes]

I agree, it's a tough call. My personal preference is for the somewhat cropped version (keeping a little of the dark grasses at the bottom, but not very much).

Iron Creek makes a good point: which version best reflects your own feeling of the scene at the time you took it?

[X-Re]

I would crop it... Either the 20%-ish crop the others have mentioned, or something more radical - possibly crop out the dark horizontal line and below... You get a whole other feel, that way, and you line up the horizon on a "rule of thirds" type of thing. It works as it is, but I think it gets stronger if you crop 20-25% (say, up past the dark hollow on the right side of the foreground grass, but not up to the dark line that runs across the image)....

[Andres Bonilla]

Tough call.  I can see it both ways.  As it is, the darkness in the grass balances the darkness in the clouds.  But if you were to cut maybe 20% of the height off the bottom, it would create a different look entirely as there is some distraction in the grass stems at the extreme forefront. 

I realize that doesn't help much, but I can see merit in both approaches.

Mike.
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Thanks Mike, I thought the darker foreground would lead the eye to the center of the frame, I will try the 20ish percent crop.

[Andres Bonilla]

Tough call.  I like what I feel by seeing the image as is.  This is a good example of an image within an image just by cropping.  Bottom line is this: Is the image as it is what you felt when you took it?
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Thanks, that's problably the reason why I had a tough time cropping the photo because the foreground grass remind me how I felt when I took the photo. I was in the middle of it.

[Andres Bonilla]

Eric, X- Re if you guys want to crop the photo go ahead  I would like to see your take on it.

[X-Re]

The two crops I was talking about are below. I'm thinking I like the first one better....

[attachment=2946:attachment]

[attachment=2947:attachment]

[offissa]

Um, ok. Here's something different, then...

[Eric Myrvaagnes]

OK, then, here's the "correct" answer!     (At least my cropping.)
I took a fair amount off the bottom, leaving some of the dark grasses, which serve to frame the light, central area. I also took a tiny bit off the top, just because it didn't seem to add anything.

[attachment=2951:attachment]

[wolfnowl]

OK, then, here's the "correct" answer! (At least my cropping.)
I took a fair amount off the bottom, leaving some of the dark grasses, which serve to frame the light, central area. I also took a tiny bit off the top, just because it didn't seem to add anything.

Yes, I'd say that's about right...

Mike.

[Andres Bonilla]

Thank you guys! I really liked Eric's take on the photo. It is very interesting to see how cropping can change a photo by emphasizing some aspects of the picture.

[DarkPenguin]

Took a shot.  Very similar to Eric's.

[attachment=2977:attachment]

[Don Libby]

Okay as usual I’m the odd man out.  I still like the original as it made me feel as if I were actually there in the grass, even more so after reading Andres feelings regarding the image.  I generally let the image develop itself.  Sometimes I like the image as is and sometimes I like the image within the image and will use both.  Don’t even start me on whether it would look better in color or b&w…..



don

[Eric Myrvaagnes]

Took a shot.  Very similar to Eric's.

[attachment=2977:attachment]
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Hey Dark,

I think I prefer yours to mine. I do like a tad more of the dark grass in the foreground.

[Morris Taub]

I was wondering if I should crop the foreground a bit or if I should leave it alone. Any suggestions?

Andres
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Eric and Dark have it closer to the way I would have cropped this image if it were mine...nice photo by the way...

M