I took this photo while on a streamside trail through a narrow canyon near Sedona, Arizona. It’s easy there to be carried away by all the red in the rocks, so these blue and gray mineral/water stains (at least that’s what I think they are) caught my eye.
Specific Feedback Requested
I’m trying to decide how to crop this particular shot and would like some feedback on a few different options below. I’ve also posted the original for comparison. The cropping above keeps the focus on the blue/gray stripes and excludes some distracting details. I’m particularly interested in a semi-abstract composition that emphasizes colors and lines.
Technical Details
Is this a composite: No
I’ve done some very minor post-processing (exposure, contrast, color) on the cropped shots.
Cropping Option #2
This includes a red vertical stripe on the left but also means including a large crack in the bottom left. Is that crack too distracting?
Hi @Liz_Enslin … I like your first crop (the square one) for a few reasons: 1) I like that it only contains the blue shapes/streaks in the rocks … which creates a nice repeating pattern, 2) I like that the longer (top to bottom) blue streak is on the LH vertical third line and that creates a nice balance to the image, 3) I like the repeating curved features in the brown rock that stretch from BL to TR … which isn’t as apparent in the original image or other crops. A lovely image
Put me down for option #3. I like the various detail it includes in the wider look. I would be tempted to add contrast, deepening the darks and popping the color more, all personal taste items. Nicely seen and executed.
Option #3 for me Liz, for the same reasons @Harley_Goldman already mentioned. Very unusual markings for sure; I can see why you were attracted to them.
Thank you @Jon_Norris for articulating the appeal of the first crop. This one is growing on me for precisely the reasons you detail; I just wasn’t able to explain it to myself.
Thank you @Harley_Goldman and @Ed_Lowe for weighing on on why you prefer option #3. I also like this one and find it helpful to understand what others see there.
I find this to be excellent. Put me down for #1 which stands above the others as a composition. I’m looking at it as a design of black lines across a pattern of colored shapes and that looks best in number 1 to me. I also like the faded colors you have chosen to use for the background here.
Thanks @Igor_Doncov. I find it very helpful to ponder how you’re looking at it. Focusing on the black lines across the colored shapes really does shift how I might think about cropping the image.
