Cropping

The way in which a photograph has been cropped is a vital component of a successful image. By cropping the photograph the photographer decides what elements of the image to show the viewer, and in discarding what he or she sees as unimportant they convey their own thoughts and feelings and influence the person looking at the image.

The decision of where to aim the lens and where to focus the camera is made when the photograph is taken. This is the photographer’s initial crop and an essential decision as to how to influence the viewer has already been made.

Cropping is obviously also frequently carried out subsequent to the photograph being taken. Digital images are cropped on the computer, whilst non-digital images are cropped using an enlarger. Both of these methods give the photographer the ability to fine tune their image as well as alter the meaning and intent of the photograph.

The decisions in cropping I mentioned initially, those made by the photographer at the time of the image being taken, will be used in all areas of photography but can be seen to be used most effectively in documentary photography. The photographer must demonstrate to the best of his or her ability what is happening at the scene and show the most important aspects of what is being documented whilst excluding the unimportant parts of the scene.





Those decisions about the crop of an image that are taken subsequent to it being taken will often be used by the photographer to fine tune the image, enhance its composition and make it generally more aesthetically pleasing. This is a photograph of my own taken for my studio lighting module that demonstrates the way a photograph can be changed just due to a relatively subtle difference in crop.





This sort of post-production cropping can also be used more dramatically, to cut out entire elements of interest and therefore alter the original intent of the photograph. A photo can be cropped in this way either by the photographer themselves or at a later stage by someone else.

This is a photograph of a recent piece of graffiti by Banksy. His image denotes two children pledging allegiance to a Tesco bag flying as a flag. Banksy has used two highly conflicting images to, it seems, demonstrate his frustration with the capitalist corporations dominating our world. I have cropped the photograph to enhance the opposing images and underline the impact of them being used together.





This photograph is by David Lachapelle, and is again using two very conflicting images that when combined provide us with an unusual message. The image denotes a model dressed as Jesus, sitting in a typically biblical pose, juxtaposed with a young woman in revealing clothes, caressing his feet. The fact that the woman is wearing just red underwear, paired with the way she is touching Jesus' feet connotes a sexual tone that is shocking considering the photograph's main subject. By cropping the photograph to show each subject separately, the images now only hold the connotations attached to each figure.


Here I have cropped the image to exclude the woman in red and although I was unable to remove Jesus from the modern day surroundings entirely, with only a tap and a cupboard visible, they are much less obvious. Thus, the photograph now denotes a more typically biblical image. The newly solitary figure connotes an entirely different atmosphere, one that is not seedy but holy.

Here I have cropped the image to show only the woman in red. Now all feelings of awkwardness surrounding the juxtaposition and unusual presentation of Jesus have gone, the woman is left alone, still a provocative figure but without the shocking subtext insinuated by Jesus’ presence.