Cropping Your Images | Ask David Bergman

[@johnhare6652]

Great video. When I first started photography I got the best piece of advice from a more experienced photographer who said "if the image is strong enough it will take a crop". What they meant was that if the exposure and focus is good then a crop can really improve the image. Primarily I shoot landscapes and often compose with the intention of changing the aspect ratio from the native 3:2 to 16:9, obviously this involves a crop. I attempt to compose mostly so the key element is close to an intersect of the rule of thirds but do so being mindful of my intent to crop to 16:9 secure in the knowledge that when cropping I can place the elements more precisely. If you shoot looser you can crop, you cannot add easily if you shoot too tight and with the megapixels of modern cameras these days resolution will normally be just fine for printing etc.

[@RashadShort]

Cropping is an art. Great video. That SI cover crop totally blew my mind🤯

[@brad_in_yyc]

Love seeing those photos David. Great perspective. It's truly amazing what can be done with "only" 12mp.

[@JPMongeS]

I do a lot of macro photography and cropping is always a must.

[@Sportserjeff]

Great photos, and advice,a testament to shoot in raw and non destructive editing.

[@MrCochise71]

Great vid David. I shoot with the canon 5ds. I love cropping at times. Because the resolution is amazing. Crop baby crop! I shoot landscape/environmental landscape. Amazing how 12 megapixels still looks great cropped today.

[@CanadianArchivist]

I shoot minor hockey with an aps-c camera & 70-300f:/4.5-6.3 variable lens or wide angle. I use composition in camera as I think about the shot I’m taking. I anticipate a play on the ice or decide to follow a certain player. I use rules of thirds. I set where I want my horizon line as I follow the game. After photos are taken, I won’t crop unless the image calls for it. It all depends on what story is being told, what factors such as the positioning of players and what’s important. Perhaps an expression, where the puck is, which direction the players and sticks are going, or if shooting toward a goalie, how is his or her position

[@felixrodriguez4263]

Great demo for cropping as it always the eye of the beholder to bring out the beauty of the image with the know how of the tools one has on hand. As the image is the moment that is captured as we behold that moment in time so we can best express that moment for others to behold. Be it cropped or not. Thanks David hope you an joyful holidays

[@LimaGolf284th]

Thank you, for another informative and insightful video.

[@iankellam6440]

Great video David. Always educational and entertaining. Many thanks.

[@brendallsterling4117]

Thanks, David. I know your video is 3 yrs old, but it's still helpful !!

[@johnjuby6184]

That is an amazing shot from your tough advantage point. I was watching someone's comments on cropping. Can't remember who. But he/she pointed out, when cropping, do it first before any adjustments because cropping may signifantly change your histogram. Then, lighten, darken, whatever, after the crop.

[@SmallSpoonBrigade]

Potentially, especially if you're cropping out something that's very dark or bright.

[@leafsfan71]

Wow, that first crop is way tighter than I thought you would take it. Thanks for this, as it is something I always struggle with.

[@robertmccutchan5450]

I love this! I shoot in very fast paced situations, and sometimes I don't have enough time to zoom, so I rely on cropping during the edit phase.

[@MrRensan404]

Great presentation about when and how to crop pictures to make it look better or fit a particular need. I like using Lightroom to preserve the original print while exploring the different possibilities. You never can tell in the future if you need to use the original picture for another purpose.

[@ihknilsen]

Really enjoyed this video! Thanks David!

[@vperalta]

David, this was a great video. There is always something new I learned. Thanks.

[@marcvloeberghs881]

Thank you David, real great shots. A very successful 2021 and hopefully you will succeed in all your endeavours.

[@DavidBergmanPhoto]

Thanks and back at you!

[@JoshyDaMan08]

100% true statements... Nice work, David. Yeah, I noticed when I cropped by cropped the images then suddenly pixel changes (like JPEG files) and look soft the picture. Go back refresh and redo the work while figured it out. I do leaves fully image stock on the cameras but don't do editing/cropping from the cameras because it will drains the battery or ran-out memory spaces. Usually deleted the photo from the cameras that I know if useless or bad shots. 💾📷

[@ricaa50]

Topaz Gigapixel AI is a great tool for getting some of those pixels back after you crop. I use it on images I want to print.

[@DavidBergmanPhoto]

AI tech is getting very good. But it will never be the same as collecting actual data from the light hitting the sensor at capture.

[@ricaa50]

@@DavidBergmanPhoto I agree but for the times we don’t capture it in camera it gives us an opportunity to save an otherwise throw away photo. I enjoy your videos. Always pick up something from them. THX

[@randyschwager84]

Love the SI EXAMPLE! Thanks!

[@NextScamdemic]

Awesome video. I dislike LR’s crop tool. I wish it would preview the final result in real time as you’re adjusting it. The crappy photo viewer that comes with Windows does a better job

[@lawrencelopez9839]

this also applies to drawings and digital paintings yeah. Thanks for the video

[@KenToney]

Awesome tips David. I remember seeing that cover and that’s when I researched you, been following ever since!! You inspired me to start doing concerts and I shoot our local venue, my photos line the auditoriums office! Thanks!

[@raydunn3501]

Another great subject David,,, I learnt about about it years ago with film and using two L mount cards,,, I suppose it all depends on what you actually want to show in the picture,,, that,s what makes cropping subjective.,,, its Do I or Dont I. See ya next Monday.

[@RobertoLopez-qg1sb]

Thank you. Great video!

[@charleyl264]

OK, now how do you crop to be certain that you haven't lost the aspect ratio? I have been going to Photoshop where I have ruler scales to keep the aspect ratio of the crop correct, but I see so many, like you in this video, where you don't seem to worry about aspect ratios or resulting size.

[@sandygeddry724]

I have the same question. I always crop with the idea of printing so 8x10, 5x7 and 4x6. My camera ratio is 8x12, but that doesn't fit into a frame. It will be interesting to see what David says.

[@DavidBergmanPhoto]

You can select the aspect ratio in the photoshop crop tool. I usually keep my images at their original aspect ratio, which is 2x3. But getting the composition where I want is sometimes more important than the exact ratio. When printing, then you have to decide if you want to crop again or use white borders. I did a video about that here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mYram6dnpNScq5o

[@SmallSpoonBrigade]

If you're going to crop, you shouldn't limit yourself like that. Put the print behind mat board with enough space to full the gap to the frame. It'll look great no matter which ratio you choose.

[@wisconsinfarmboy9232]

Very informative and easy to understand 👍

[@jhhayden]

I would have mentioned cropping for an aspect ratio change if you were going to print but a great video.

[@pieterdhaeze]

Great video. You can use the crop tool also the other way to give the subject more space i.e. with to tight portraits in front of even backgrounds. The Auto Fill fills it up nicely. I also use Crop and Auto Fill to change the aspect ratio without losing pixels.

[@pattymattes7124]

I have a question about this. If you offer to sell prints how do you crop keeping in mind certain aspect ratios? Would it be better to shoot a little wider to give some room for various aspect rations?

[@DavidBergmanPhoto]

Check out this video I did on exactly that topic: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mYram6dnpNScq5o

[@pattymattes7124]

@@DavidBergmanPhoto Yes, I saw that but I wouldn't be interested in white borders around the image. I guess my question relates to how much space I should give an image knowing it may be cropped from a 2 by 3 ratio to like a 4 by 5. Then there is the resolution problem. I don't have photoshop I opted for ON1. Supposedly ON1 has a way to resize images without degrading them. Oh well, I guess it's going to be trial and error for me. Thanks!

[@SmallSpoonBrigade]

@@pattymattes7124 generally, sold prints will bring more money if they're matted. So, if you've got white, that should be covered by the may board.

[@mdturnerinoz]

David: Get a copy of Topaz Gigapixel AI and you can take 12MP photos to look AWESOME again (i.e., as if a more modern camera)! I love prime lenses because they make me zoom with my feet!

[@Qbulls23]

Great information David!

[@iSchneggs]

WOW! SI Cover! Nice!!

[@AdrianBacon]

I almost always shoot a little loose knowing that I’m actually going to have different aspect ratios after cropping, depending on the output medium. I almost always end up with multiple aspect ratios for a single image, for example, for a headshot, one retouched image will usually result in at least a square for online/social media, with a 4x5 crop for a physical print that goes on the clients office wall. If it’s an environmental portrait for editorial, I’ll almost always shoot really really loose so the layout people have a lot of working room to get the crop they want, and I’ll often see a really tall vertical up the side of a page, or a really horizontal masthead, along with social media crops. I wish you had spent more time talking about cropping for different output mediums, as they rarely match up with camera sensor aspect ratios.

[@DavidBergmanPhoto]

I did a video last year about printing aspect ratios: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mYram6dnpNScq5o

[@martinpritchettmusic]

This is a powerful tool! Especially with us wildlife photographers. Usually the "rule" of thumb with flying birds is to fill the frame as much as possible which means been closer to the subject but also means keeping as much pixel data as possible got (texture of feathers etc). But say perched bird shots we can be selective with cropping and bring the subject in with a much nicer crop and can be a but more patient with the composition. I believe Topaz have some software which allows for an Apsc sized image to be blown up and have a similar data size pixel by pixel as a full frame image by using Ai.

[@SmallSpoonBrigade]

That depends a bit on how well you can keep the bird where you want it. Larger birds benefit less from cropping than smaller ones.

[@hassanscottodierno9284]

Thanks, this was very helpful

[@oamyway975]

Adorama is such Beautiful channel ....... I like their videos 👍👍 🙏🙏 🎉🎉

[@DavidBergmanPhoto]

Thanks for watching!

[@juanquispe3494]

3:27 In my mind this is a special flute and he's playing the Titanic theme. What a man!

[@billwendry]

Nice job! When you are commissioned by a client, like Sports Illustrated, do they normally require your photos uncropped?

[@hubercats]

Very helpful video, David. I am confused by something you said, namely you said that cropping reduces resolution which doesn’t make sense to me. Cropping would seem to only delineate a subset of the original pixels and hence reduce the size of the file needed to store the cropped image but why would it affect resolution? - Thank you! - Jim

[@madhusoodanshimoga5725]

Great video, thanks a ton. However I would have loved it more if there was some info on different settings available in cropping tool of CC versions of Photoshop.

[@jackyleecs]

Always curious about this. How about full body shots in studio where you can see the edge of the backdrop at the sides of the image? How do editors handle such photos? Do they crop out the model, then "extend" the backdrop in photoshop?

[@DavidBergmanPhoto]

That’s a creative decision. I’ve created images where to can see the edges, and others - with a solid white background, for example - where I’ve extended the white out to make the composition better.

[@ioanabiris3472]

Thank you!!

[@deirdremcquade9690]

I'd be interested in hearing more about editing workflow, specifically using apps like Topaz AI to enlarge/"fill in" resolution lost after cropping.

[@Allen-Trav]

I use many Topaz AI applications. Check out Anthony Morganti (KZbin) and many tutorials and workflow ideas on the Topaz website.

[@franciscocardenas5758]

Awesome episode 👏 😃

[@juandeveraturda4392]

Very nice lecture! Thank you. 🤩

[@darlingtoncd]

It's not even an issue...crop👍. I don't trust photographers who say they "never" crop.

[@duncandavies1966]

Yeah, it doesn't make sense. Clearly they don't get the framing spot on every time, so why wouldn't they make the most of their images by cropping? I think it's a form of photographic snobbery.

[@SmallSpoonBrigade]

@@duncandavies1966 Why is that clear? It depends a little on the type of photography, but for many situations you don't need to. Not to mention that you can take multiple frames with different compositions. Not all photographers engage in spray and pray photography.

[@lovemycity420]

Great video

[@Martinez_Photos]

Since I moved to a 42 megapixel camera, I crop the heck out of my images. :-)

[@SmallSpoonBrigade]

That's part of it, back in olden times, there wasn't much that could be cropped and have a decent size left. In those days, crops were mostly to change the aspect ratio.

[@emilycross4527]

Your numbers are roughly consistent with the (old) guidance from NatGeo of 1600 pixels minimum per side. Thx. 📷

[@mikeydmalden]

I'm still confused how the 12mp camera was able to produce a cover quality image? I would love to hear more on that when it comes to cropping and retaining image quality. I shoot on a 20mp camera, and I feel like my images fall off after 8x10s and I don't crop nearly as much.

[@fixitrod4969]

Pixel size and sensor quality can make a diffrence. Good editing and quality printing skills go a long way as well.

[@DavidBergmanPhoto]

Like Fixitrod says. All pixels are not created the same. Quality is often more important than quantity.

[@L.Spencer]

I love your videos and I'm learning a lot from them. I just wanted to mention that 2010 wasn't the year of Hurricane Katrina, that happened in 2005. Perhaps it was another hurricane?

[@prakashpatankar3805]

Croping image decrease M.P. 24 goes down to 18 or 15 like that ? Sir 🌷 how exactly do increase 12 M.P. to 18 or 24 or decrease 12 to 8/10 m.p.

[@DavidBergmanPhoto]

You can't really increase resolution. You can do it if needed for printing, but it's a delicate process. Usually not needed to most uses.

[@SmallSpoonBrigade]

@@DavidBergmanPhoto yep, there's interpolation and machine learning based interpolation, but you can't invent pixels without consequence.

[@phyllisblanchard]

What about where to and where not to crop (cut off) on a person? I.E., crop at elbow? or Not? crop at wrist/hand, etc.?

[@DavidBergmanPhoto]

I did a two-minute tip a couple year ago talking about that: kzbin.info/www/bejne/b5C7hJh_m9GNorc

[@MichaelKantormusic]

Happy and Healthy New Year David. Greetings from your home in South Florida. Just goes to show you that the pic you don't think works, makes the cover. It's funny 9/10 times you ask guys on a job if they got anything good and most of us say no... LOL

[@TheFantasticphotos]

Only question I have is is there a way to crop so it fits exsample 8x10 so there no white edges on the print I know this is two year old video hope u can answer me

[@sebastianwaseskuk8669]

doesn't the depth of field and bokeh work best at a further distance and long focal length? Why at minute 12:10 did you mention you would have preferred to shoot up closer for a more shallow depth of field? and what are the other videos you were referencing?

[@SmallSpoonBrigade]

IIRC, that's why architectural models are usually shot with a telephoto lens from a greater distance for more realism.

[@fixitrod4969]

No discussion of crop ratios? Hmm

[@DavidBergmanPhoto]

Did that one already as it relates to printing: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mYram6dnpNScq5o

[@cl759]

nice video, habitual cropper says 👍🏻

[@beatlesfan851]

can you make a tutorial for mobile

[@LiviuLungu]

Great video showing how to crop. I think it would have been interesting to also include information like how not to crop. I'm thinking about wide lenses with a lot of distribution, shots with a lot of bokeh, or with lens flare, all of these type of shots having a clear center that should be kept the same when cropping.

[@phynx2006]

I feel the Ohio State quarter back being lifted image would work if cropped with the Quarter Back dead center because all the other people in the image are looking at him, therefore all the other faces are creating leading lines toward the center of the image. But hey, rules of thirds always works as well🤔 That Drew Brees SI Cover image is a great crop example🤗👍👍and a great image👌

[@kurtozan251]

Cropper?!? Barely know ‘er!

[@NextScamdemic]

Smart phones/social media ruined the horizontal aspect ratio. An incredible horizontal photo will never look as good as an extremely cropped-in vertical image on a damn smart phone screen 😩

[@duncandavies1966]

People still view images on monitors/tablets etc.

[@SmallSpoonBrigade]

You can't turn they phone sideways? And how is this different from the past with portrait orientation on a horizontal monitor?

[@sijilo]

🤞🤞

[@52701970]

Bad advice. You need to add ( reguarding the first photo)if a person was to print photo, the crop is too close.

[@DavidBergmanPhoto]

Depends on the client. For my own portfolio, I’m going to crop right where I want it.

[@yvettemcphee5116]

You never got to how to use my camera to crop the photo chatty Cathy!

[@solarplexus4003]

Sell you perfedtly composed image to the press and see em crop it to hell.

[@DavidBergmanPhoto]

As long as the check clears. :)

[@jazinvillaronte3793]

First.. 😁

[@petermsull]

Cropping? Seriously?!? Have we sunk this low? I mean, and not to be a jerk, that's photography 101 for crying out loud.

[@DavidBergmanPhoto]

I try to answer as many of the questions that are sent to me, covering all different experience levels.

[@petermsull]

@@DavidBergmanPhoto You sir are *far* more patient than I. For this level of basic I'd be compelled to whip out my sarcasm stick. I've taught hundreds and hundreds of people; I'd have told her "RTFM and get back to me.". Maybe I'm deficient somehow, but this I know: I had cropping down cold (in the practical darkroom) by the time I was 14. That was in 1978. Wait a tick! It just dawned on me - rather late as usual - that this is an excellent place to introduce the Golden Mean/Rule/Ratio and it's effect on all from the original composition to cropping. There: lemonade from lemons!