Reasons for Cropping Images in Photography

Cropping image is a simple but also an important step when post-processing the image. All image-processing software has cropping tool, allows you to crop or simply edges an image. Of course, not all photos need to be cropped; however, if a photo is cropped deliberately, it will create a strong impression of the visual and layout. If you are not completely convinced, take a look at the illustration below.

Use the crop tool in the image processing software.

To crop an image, you only need to open the image processing software (Photoshop or Lightroom) and select the crop tool. Position the crop tool in a corner of the image and drag the selected area of ​​the image you want to keep. Crop area will display the color darker or lighter, depending on the software you are using. 

Once you are happy with the new layout, click on the photo or click the Enter (Windows) or Return (Mac OS) to complete the process of cropping photos

2 things to remember when cropping photos

Always use a copy to crop the image. Some software automatically open and save your pictures in a file copy. If processing of the original image, the change of the image will not recover once you have saved the image. On the other hand, if keeping the original, you can use and implement the cropping processes image for the next time.

Pixels resolution will change when the image is cropped. If your photos are blurred due to lower resolution after the crop, then restore the image (undo) and select crop area less to keep a higher resolution.

You can choose a larger crop with high-resolution photos. You should keep this in mind when taking pictures and always make sure your camera is set to shoot at the highest resolution.

The reason for cropping photos

1. Improved layout

2. Create focus for photos

3. Cut off the excess elements

4. Zoom in a detailed impression

5. Change photo (horizontal / vertical)

6. Change picture ratio

     4:3 ratio is appropriate for the print size 5x4 "

Capture Outstanding Motion Photos with Panning Technique

In photography, to capture an attractive and impressive image, people tend to suggest the idea to create the contrast in the image. It is possible that the contrast of content such as rich and poor, small and large, high and low, far and near, peace and the abyss or light contrast, highlights and shadows, or color contrast to emphasize the theme. There is another contrast that many people interested in, it's static and dynamic. To capture an image in static dynamic contrast style, there are many ways and many shooting situations, but the most popular way is using panning techniques. These techniques mean to snap a moving subject in an animation background and you can easily do this after few times of practice.

First, you need to set some parameters on your camera.

Shutter speed:

The basic of shooting Panning is to have a slow shutter speed, usually about 1/25 sec. When shooting with a slow shutter speed, the captured background was often blurred in the direction of motion.

During operation, you can focus on the subject and panning along with the subject, the subject will be visible on a blurred background.

On the camera, you can select the mode M or Tv/S to shoot. With M mode, you will have to adjust all the parameters such as shutter speed, aperture and ISO to get enough bright for the picture.

Tv mode / S is simple; you just need to pay attention the speed and keep your shutter speed to the lowest possible value.

Aperture problem in shooting panning is unimportant. At any aperture, the depth of field is no longer available because the theme is burred due to the action of panning.

Focus modes:

To ensure an image Panning with the subject focus on the blurry background, the right focus on the subject is very important.

On camera, you set the focus point in the middle as often moving subjects will in the middle of the image. Besides, the main focus in the middle is usually more accurate.

You can also use the continuous focus (AI Servo on Canon), allowing your camera to continuous focus on a moving subject.

Imaging techniques:

You need to choose an airy place, ensure that there is nothing will block your view on the subject; then, wait for the subject approaches and begin to press the shutter button halfway to start focusing on the subject.

Then remain parallel and start panning the subject smoothly, when you thing it is the right moment, press capture. However, after the shutter, you can continue panning the theme to ensure smooth motion.

You can set the camera in continuous shooting mode to ensure always catch every moment of the subject

The photos were taken by panning help viewers feel the movement of the subject in the photo, totally different from the pictures with higher shutter speed and capture motion of the subject.

Smartphone Photography, Using Your Smartphone to Take Glamorous Photos

If you want to compose great photos as you have seen on the Internet with the smartphone that you are using, please refer to the tips in the section below. In addition to the phone, you will also need to support some applications for it and even your creativity

1. Taken with plenty of light: To get the best pictures, you should take the photo with plenty of light. Small image sensor on smartphones need a lot of light so the best photos should be taken outdoors. In order to get more light, you should turn your back to the sunlight and let the light shine through your shoulders. If you're shooting indoors, turned your back to the door and turned the light on.
2. Image allocation: To take pictures, you not only need to know how to install properly, but also to know how to arrange photos in a professional manner. Keep the camera stable and stay balance, pay attention to behind the scene.
3. Set the camera icon on the main screen: it will be much easier when you want to quickly capture a moment.
4. Hold the phone when shooting: One reason for the blurred images is that the phone often hard to hold than a normal camera because it is lighter and thinner. Please hold your phone tightly, with two hands and elbows on your side to be able to hold the camera stable.
5. Setting: If your camera has the balance control brightness, then normally you just leave it in auto mode, but if your smartphone camera has color problems, reinstall the fluorescence mode optical daylight or twilight. But remember to turn back to auto mode when finished.
If the camera has ISO setting, turn off Auto. When you are outside and have the sun, you set ISO at the lowest value to minimize digital noise on your photos. In low light conditions, you go to the highest ISO value.
7. Extended dynamic range: some of the phones provide High Dynamic Range mode for the camera, the imaging technique benefit to take 3 pictures at the same time with 3 different stages: low light, normal picture and outstanding light photos.
If your phone has this mode, you can learn how to use it. This effect can combine multiple images to create a vivid picture.
8. Pay attention to the special effects: Most phones have very few tools for photo editing, so you should use an image editing application such as Photoshop.
10. Do not use digital zoom: The camera on your phone can not amplify the image by moving the lens. Instead, it has a digital zoom feature to the pixels up and insertion of fine detail. If you want bigger pictures, you should get closer to the object to be captured.
11. Updated software, new applications: One of the advantages of smartphones is that they can be upgraded by downloading software, new applications. So, always check the app store to download the program could improve the operation of the camera as well as the application can upgrade the photos that you take.

12 Techniques for Digital Portrait Photography Inspiration

1. Photoshop:

If you are good at processing and image manipulation (post-production), then use it as an advantage. Be extravagant with custom, try one of the new Photoshop tricks or even try to create one photo collage fancy

2. OVER Exposé:

Residual light photography, also called high-key image makes beautiful portraits with soft gentle light sense. One advantage of pictures over expose is that small details and defects of the samples were blown away, making for a much smoother image,

3. UNDER Exposé:

Often when looking at the first photo array that makes up the majority, also known as low-key image, the natural eye will be attracted by the bright part of the picture photo. This trend gives us one picture looks rough and rugged than high-key image.

4. Back light:

Hair will light up when it was taken opposite with the light source, so if the majority of the hair can then make it stand out by placing the subject between you and one light source. You can manipulate this technique to create the solid silhouette images (backlit images with the subject's shadow):

5. Posing:

Try creating photo pose with a crazy position; it is even more unique if it is a difficult and uncomfortable position for the model.

6. Reflections:

Use different surfaces to create a special aspect of the image. Mirror windows, water ... the surfaces reflect light very well, and every kind of material has a different result.

7. Shadows:

Another way to capture impressive portrait is to make the shadows become one important part of the image. Sometimes the shadow can be made to stand out more than the subject that creates the shadow

8. Get close:

There is no photography rule against cropped most of the model’s face. This makes people are more attracted by what was left in the photo.

9. (Un) focus:

Sometimes, out focus on the subject is more interesting than the in focus (sounds a little ridiculous anyway: D: 7). This is like adding some element of mystery to the photo because sometimes you cannot know exactly who in the picture is.

10. Movement:

Use movement to express the dynamic nature of the image, maybe even the whole subject completely blurry. In this case, ignore the subject and think about creating one new entity through the old movement of the subject.

11. Capture the moment:

Capture the moment when someone is doing something that they love, even if it is not performed. Street Photography is one of my favorites because it takes life as it is happening

12. Color:

Using vibrant colors and contrast to attract attention to the parts of the image that you want to emphasize. The subject in this case can be makeup, clothing, accessories, or anything else you have in your ability.

10 Tips to Improve The Image Layout

1. Odd rule

Simply, odd rule means that you have an odd number of subjects, objects in your photos. Your photo can be a photo with one or three or five, ... subject. This rule makes your photo more interesting and attractive in the eyes of the viewer.

2. Limited DOF - Limiting the Focus

Limit the depth of the image (DOF) is an easy way to increase the emphasis of the image. This technique may not necessarily apply to all the pictures, but it is useful when you want to reduce the attention to the subject that you want to hide.

3. Simplification

The best way to increase the highlight of the picture is taken a picture that looks simple. The easiest way to do this is to limit the number of subjects in your photos. You can use tip 2 to obscure the details disperse the attention of the viewer.

4. Centering

Put the subject in the center of the image to create a balance to the photo. This tip is most effective with simple images that have only a few subjects.

5. Rule of Thirds

This principle is one of the most effective and most commonly used in the layout of an image. You can easily improve your photo layouts using this principle by the natural human eye attention to these points when viewing a photo. According to this principle, the image will become more attractive by introducing the main subject that you would like to take up one of the four points of intersection of the imaginary lines 3x3 frame.

6. Lead room

Lead room is the space in front of the subject (the direction in which the object-oriented). This tip is often used in conjunction with the Rule of Thirds to make the photo more attractive. By leaving the space in front of the subject, the viewer will feel that the subject moves about looks.

7. S curve

S Curve an imaginary S line in a picture. Layout in this way to make the photos look more interesting thanks to lead the viewer’s eye along the imaginary S in your picture. S curve can also be used in styling (Posing) to increase the expressive capabilities / performance of the model

8. Foreground

You can make beautiful landscapes and more impressive by adding foreground and there are a few subjects in the foreground. This is one of the skills used to create a sense of the magnitude, depth images and making viewers sometimes feel as if he / she is in the picture.

9. Fill the frame

When you think you've had enough close to the subject, try approaching the subject more. You will have another layout / photo by filling the gaps in the frame with the subject

10. Framing

This is a creative way to add your image into the foreground. Use the objects around you to create a virtual frame the subject in the picture of cool. This technique is a great way to increase the attractiveness of photos and make a photo really different from other photos.

Time Lapse Photography

To make a long story become short, can be done in many ways, an attractive method that can be used is Time Lapse photography. Time Lapse photography is a cinematography technique, which capture frame rate is lower than the normal frame rate of the movie. For example, the normal film runs at 24 frames per second, but the Time Lapse movie frame can be 1 per second or more, depending on the intentions of the photographer, then the image is played back at 30 frames per second.

Such as recording a sunflower blooming, this process takes a period of a few days. However, when playing back the entire movement, it will be encapsulated in a few minutes, so it will make more sense as time went by so fast. Time Lapse capture is considered to be the opposite of high-speed photography. When a phenomenon happens very slowly and watches them at a faster speed, which enables scientists to see the big picture. At faster speeds, things going on as real as life begins and ends, it will be very impressive in our eyes. The movement of the sun, the stars became very clear.

Time Lapse is an important part of the film; many passages in the film when using this technique will become clear in our eyes. Common objects of Time Lapse photography including wings, the sun or the moon moving, growing, flowers are blooming, the fruit is ripe, the formation of an architecture, people in the city and many others.

Full-frame Camera

According to Wikipedia, a full-frame camera DSLR cameras use the same sensor size as the standard 35 mm film frame size (36 × 24 mm), in contrast to the smaller sensor cameras use, especially size is equivalent to the size of APS-C film is much smaller than the full frame 35 mm.

Currently, most digital cameras, both compact and DSLR, use a smaller frame 35 mm for the production of the sensor smaller, easier, cheaper.

Full-frame sensor?

There are two commonly used terms when it comes to the size of the camera sensor (sensor) which is the full-frame sensor (full frame) and APS-C (Crop). To determine which is the full-frame sensor and which is APS-C, it is based on the standard film frame of the camera body 24mm x 36mm (35mm).



Compare the length of the diagonal full-frame sensor than APS-C: 43.27mm: 28.43mm ~ 1.5 times.

If the camera sensor size smaller than the size of the standard 24mm x 36mm film frame, the rate is less than that shown by the crop factor parameters 1.x. For example, the APS-C sensor crop factor of 1.5 means that the length of the diagonal of the sensor camera that is shorter than the length of the diagonal sensor on the camera body 24mm x 36mm is 1.5 times.

Advantages of the full-frame sensor

As explained above, conventional cameras using APS-C sensor size smaller than on a full-frame camera so the photo quality is also inferior to photos from full- frame. The reason is the larger full-frame sensors will collect more light, better ability to handle noise, true color than the photos from the APS-C.

In addition to superior photo quality, full-frame camera has more advantages than the APS-C camera lens focal length does not change. For example, along with the Canon EF 70-200mm lens, if mounted on a full-frame shooting will achieve the correct focal length that manufacturers offer but with the APS-C, the focus has changed. The lens changes the focal length on an APS-C will be equal to the focal length of the lens manufacturer multiplied by the crop coefficient corresponding factor 1.x, for example with the Canon 1.6x crop factor, the range of target distance will be 112-320mm.

This changes the focal length both "benefit" and "harm" to the user in different situations. In case you're shooting distant subjects using telephoto lens like the Canon EF 70-200mm, thanks some crop factor 1.x you will have a longer focal length, but also more vulnerable when you use the lens wide angle for landscape, architectural point of view was narrowed when the focal length changes.

Full-frame sensor for better image quality, more realistic colors, but also the production cost is more expensive than APS-C should normally only fitted on high-end digital cameras professional line of some prices thousand dollars or more. A number of full-frame cameras like the Canon EOS 5D Mark II, 5D Mark III, Nikon D800, Nikon D4 ...

Some Tips for Camera Setting

To ensure good data and capture with high efficiency, the first step is to select the setting correctly with the following: file format, color space, ISO setting, white balance, exposure, color temperature, auto focus point, metering mode, and lens.

1. File format:

If you feel confident in your setting of white balance and color temperature, you can use JPEG format. With this format, it provides sufficient quality to edit in the PS. Moreover, the portrait photographer often taken in large numbers, if shooting RAW it is unable to contain too much on the memory card and it will take time to upload basket, adjust white balance, and color temperature, converted to JPEG, which reduces the performance of the photographer.

2. ISO setting:

Select the highest ISO that your camera allows without noise. Normally, low ISO has better results, but later cameras like the Canon EOS 20D can shoot at ISO of 400 and still aren’t noise. Take the advantage of this progress, you can get a high shutter speed and fixed (1/125s) to make the camera select a large aperture. (this is necessary when shooting portrait)

3.White Balance:

This factor determines the cardboard color (cold, hot, neutral). Most cameras have auto mode, but we should consider in each case. (See manual instruction for more detail)

4. Exposure:

The auto setting does not always provide perfect exposure, always check the histogram to see the result. If we see a long black stripe along the right side of the chart, which means that the area was "blown-out" (loss of detail); similarly, if there is a dark stripe along the left side means loss of detail in dark areas.

Over Exposure: loss of detail in bright areas

Under Exposure: loss of detail in dark areas

To overcome this, we use exposure compensation. Increase or decrease to balance the light (see your camera's manual to see how to adjust).

5. Color temperature:

Sunny (sunny daylight outdoors): 5200 K

In the shade (shaded areas outdoors): 7000 K

Mostly cloudy, meters protein, or sunset: 6000K

6. Auto Focus Point: In the portrait, one focus point is enough (Canon 10D has 7 focus points). When shooting, always get the focus point in the eyes.

7. Metering Mode: Select Partial Metering or Center Weighted Metering Mode, especially when shooting close up or when the background is too bright. Select evaluative metering when has a nice background.