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William Hunter's picture

Cropping with Golden Spiral

Cropped in LR using Golden Spiral overlay

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9 Comments

What do you think, Mr Hunter? Tell us about it.

First time using Golden Spiral. I used the center of the rider as end point and the top of the peak as a control point. The Golden Spiral accentuates the size and steepness of the snow field. Not sure about Golden Spiral in this case.

I feel that the Golden Spiral works well on the third shot. Since the terrain curves to intersect the straight lines. enhances depth and elevation gain.

Your crop gives me a boxed-in feeling, William. While for me there is too much on the right of the original, it could do with more at the left, and more sky above the mountain top. I imagine I'd have been tempted to step back or zoom out, and swing up & left. Also, I might have stepped left, putting the rider closer to the snow's edge, and further right relative to the mountain.

In all I don't think you've left yourself enough "spare" image area to crop out an ideal composition.

I've appended my tuppence worth, adding a bit of sky (rather crudely, but I hope it conveys the idea). I don't find the formulae useful at all in composition, personally. Here, apart from the rider, what are you data points for applying the formula? And do you use the middle of the rider, or her head?

Chris thanks for commenting. I used the center of the rider as end point and the top of the peak as a control point. The Golden Spiral accentuates the size and steepness of the snow field. Without the Golden Spiral I would have cropped like you did. Not sure about Golden Spiral in this case.

I feel that the Golden Spiral works well on the third shot. Since the terrain curves to intersect the straight lines. enhances depth and elevation gain.

I feel that the Golden Spiral works well on the third shot. Since the terrain curves to intersect the straight lines. enhances depth and elevation gain.

I think using "mechanical" composition schemes with landscapes is problematic. Let your own eye be the judge.

I never think about thirds or g-spirals. I evaluate every photo on its own. What's relevant or irrelevant? What's interesting or boring? Does it add to the picture/tell a story or would nothing be missing if I cut it out?

Hardly are pictures perfect. For example, on the second photo, you've cut out quite a bit of empty blue sky - good. But I actually prefer the first, because the angular strip of snow on the right side offsets the red layer of rock near the top and the almost parallel snow field below that. The thing that I find most interesting about this photo is the very triangular nature of it. I count more or less about 9 triangle frames here and the first photo reinforces that.