This under-the-pier shot is a classic composition in black and white – you’ve probably seen a lot like it already – but the color original looks very ordinary indeed. So here’s a step-by-step guide to how I transformed it into a powerful graphic image in Lightroom.
Cropping
There are two main reasons for cropping photos. The first and most straightforward is simply to make them fit a specific size of printing paper, screen size or design layout.
It's all about the aspect ratio, or the ratio of a photo's width to its height. Most DSLRs and mirrorless cameras have an aspect ratio of 3:2 whereas most compact cameras have an aspect ratio of 4:3. Most computer screens are 16:9, like HD video and UHD 4K, though Mac screens are 16:10...
Anyway, when your images are displayed on specific devices or layouts, or printed on common paper sizes, the chances are they will be cropped to fit. This may happen automatically, but you won't get any control over what's cropped off – so many of us would rather do this cropping manually.
The other reason for cropping images is to improve their composition by removing unwanted or distracting objects at the edge of the frame or choosing an aspect ratio that better suits the shape of the subject.
Cropping and straightening photos
Very often your photo editing software will be able to straighten and crop images at the same time, but there are still times you might want to treat them as two separate tasks.
There may be more in your RAW files than you think! See this in Capture One
You might assume your RAW processing software shows you everything captured by the camera, but that’s not always the case. Where the camera is applying digital lens corrections, there may be more ‘image’ outside the regular image area that you wouldn’t normally see.
Aspect ratios and why you need to know about them
The aspect ratio of an image is the ratio of its width to its height. The larger the ratio, the ‘wider’ the image; the smaller the ratio, the ‘squarer’ the image.
Instagram image size still matters: non-square photos may not fit
How do you stop your photos being cropped awkwardly on Instagram? It’s not about pixel sizes, it’s about aspect ratios, and here’s what you need to know.
Why cropping is the last thing you should do
Cropping a photo is usually seen as a creative choice, but in the real world it’s not always quite that simple. Very often, you need to produce an image to fit a specific display size or aspect ratio, and you won’t know what that is until the time comes.
Can Capture One see more than your camera?
There’s something odd about the way Capture One crops certain RAW files. Now and again, when you select the crop tool, you’ll see that Capture One has chosen a default crop that’s actually smaller than the full image area. This might seem like a minor operational annoyance and that you just need to recrop manually, […]