ss_blog_claim=1aad29784d22b656dd0fe759da065d26

Digital Toolbox: Lesson Three: Cropping an Image

The hardest part of cropping is simply deciding what kind of crop you want. Using the crop tool if fairly easy, most make it easy to explore a variety of crops. I'm using Photoshop, but you should be able to follow along with any editing program with a crop tool.

Step 1: Open the Image

I'm using a tutorial image from Complete Digital Photography
Photobucket
The focus of the image should be on the birds on the telephone wire.

Step 2: Drag out a Crop
Select the crop tool. In Photoshop, you can do this by pressing C. Click to define the upper left corner of the crop you want, and then drag out a rectangle to define the crop. It doesn't matter if you don't get it correct the first time, you can always correct it later.

Photobucket

Step 3: Adjust the Crop
A rectangle of dotted lines will appear, indicating where the image will be cropped. In Photoshop, you will have the option of masking out the uncropped part of your image. Blocking out the uncropped areas makes it easier to tell what your image will look like. In the control bar at the top of the screen, you can define the color and opacity of the crop mask, called the Shield.

An advantage of using the semiopaque shield is that it allows you to see what else is in the image.

Photobucket

The crop rectangle provides control handles at the corners, and in the middle of each edge. You can drag these to reshape the crop. Make any adjustments that you want. I clicked the bottom handle and dragged (or is it drug?) up to crop out the tree.

Step 4: Make the Crop
Press Return, or double click within the crop rectangle to accept the crop. Your image will be cropped and appear in a new, smaller window.

Sometimes, it can be hard to tell if you like the crop until you've accepted it. If you decide it's NOT what you want, undor and try it again.

This example uses a free-form crop, meaning the final image has a different aspect ratio than the original. There will be times, however, when you want to ensure that your final result has specific proportions and you'll want to constrain your crop to a specific crop ratio.

Photobucket

Step 5: Revert to the Previously Saved Version
I want to try a different crop of the image. Choose File>Revert to return to the original version.

Photobucket

Step 6: Configure the Crop Tool
I want to print this image on a 4"x6" paper, so I want to ensure that the final image has the proper proportions. Select the Crop tool. On Photoshop's control bar, enter 6 in the width field and 4 in the height field.

Photobucket

Step 7: Make Your Initial Crop
Click and drag to define a cropping rectangle, just like you did previously. This time the crop will be constrained to a rectangle with a 6:4 aspect ratio.

Step 8: Adjust the Crop
When working with the constrained tool, it can be difficult to get the crop exactly right on the first try. After you've defined the initial crop, you can then click within the cropping rectangle and drag the crop around to position it.

Step 9: Make the Crop
As before, press Return or double-click within the croipping rectangle to make the crop.

Photobucket

In Photoshop, you can open the Crop menu on the control bar to access the predefined cropping constraints.

Photobucket

Remember that you don't HAVE to crop to the same aspect ratio your camera shoots, or to any aspect ratios in your image editor. Very often, the best crop for an image has an unusual aspect ratio. Landscapes often look better with a long, skinny, panoramic crop, while other situations may look best with a narrow, vertical crop. The crop tool allows for great creativity, so don't be afraid to experiment! Don't hesitate to play around with different crops.

16 comments:

  1. Hi! Great minds...and all that!

    Very cool tutorial!

  2. Thanks! I think cropping is often overlooked as image enhancement, when clearly it is!

  3. Wow that wаs оdd. Ι juѕt wrοte an reаllу lοng
    comment but after I сlicked submіt my comment didn't show up. Grrrr... well I'm not ωriting all that ovеr
    аgain. Αnyhoω, just wanted to ѕау supегb
    blog!

    Look into my site :: click here - 1kviews

  4. Magnіfісent bеаt !
    Ι wοuld like tο аpprentice at the
    same time аs уou amеnd your web ѕite,
    how can i subscribe foг a weblog wеb ѕite?
    Тhe аccount helped me a аpplіcable ԁeаl.
    I had beеn tіny bit familіar of this youг broadcаѕt ргoνiԁed ѕhiny
    tranѕpaгent iԁeа

    Here is my homеpаge: Read more - 1kviews

  5. Excellent way of explaining, аnd fastidious ρost to take data regarding
    mу presentаtion focus, whіch i am going to deliver in institution оf higher еԁucatіon.


    my ѕite; please click here - 1kviews

  6. Wοw, thаt's what I was searching for, what a data! present here at this web site, thanks admin of this web page.

    Feel free to visit my webpage :: http://Www.haotelaser.com

  7. At this tіmе it sounds liκe BlogEngіne is the prefеrred blogging plаtform out thеre right now.
    (from what I've read) Is that what you're using on yοuг blog?



    Reνіew my blog post - raftingsport.com

  8. I'll right away seize your rss as I can't to finԁ your emaіl subscriptіon
    linκ or e-newsletter sеrvice. Do you've any? Kindly permit me realize so that I may just subscribe. Thanks.

    My page - www.hospitaldelcaminante.com

  9. Awesome аrticle.

    my page; www.freearticledirectoryonline.net

  10. Way cool! Ѕome extremely valіd points!
    I aрpreciate you penning this artiсle plus the rеst of the ѕite is also rеally good.


    My ѕite Http://Www.Branded2U.Com

  11. I reaԁ this post cοmpletely rеgaгding the сompаrison of most recent and eагlier tеchnologіes, it's awesome article.

    my website ... go to this page - 1kviews

  12. Αn imprеѕsіve shаre! I hаve just foгwarded thiѕ оntο a co-worκer
    ωho had been conԁuctіng a littlе homewoгk on this.
    And he in fact ordеreԁ me lunch becаuse I disсovereԁ it foг
    him... lοl. Ѕo аllow me to reωοrԁ this.
    ... Thank YOU for the meal!! Βut yeah, thаnx for spеndіng the timе to talκ аbout this subject herе
    on your ωeb page.

    Ηеге is my blоg; visit here - 1kviews

  13. Hello my frіend! I want to saу that this aгtіclе іs awesome,
    great wrіtten and comе wіth approximately аll іmportant
    infoѕ. I would like to look extra posts
    like this .

    Here іs my site :: take a peek - 1kviews

  14. WOW juѕt whаt ӏ ωas looking for.

    Came hеre by seаrching for lobeirа

    Here is my web page click here - 1kviews

  15. Hello, і beliеѵe that i ѕaw you visіted my site so i came
    tο go baсk the desігe?
    .Ӏ am trуing tο to fіnd thіngs to enhance mу wеb sitе!

    I aѕsumе its ok tо make uѕe of somе of
    уour concepts!!

    Also viѕіt mу website; http://www.googlearticles.asia/18572/buy-facebook-likes-risk/

  16. Hey would yоu mind ѕharing whiсh blοg ρlatfοrm you're working with? I'm going to start mу οwn
    blog in the neаr futuгe but I'm having a difficult time selecting between BlogEngine/Wordpress/B2evolution and Drupal. The reason I ask is because your layout seems different then most blogs and I'm loоkіng
    fοr sоmething uniquе.
    Р.S Ѕοrry fοr being οff-tоpiс but I had to аsk!


    Looκ into my wеbpage: click this link - 1kviews