Which crop?

[Daisie]

Hi there,

Can you guys help me decide how to crop this photo? I'm leaning toward one of these options, but I'd like to get some other opinions. The photo will be framed and hung for a photography competition.

Thank you!

Option 1:



Option 2:



Option 3:



Hmm, now that I see this on flickr, I'm thinking that I also need to lighten up the whites a bit (especially the ceiling). What do you think?

[JFSanders]

Option one has the best balance of tones and sense of space. The white is fine don't touch it.

Jim

[Daisie]

Thanks for weighing in. I like the first option for the reasons you state, but I'm worried that the prominent dark lines on the right are distracting. Thoughts?

Anyone else?

[PixSixSix]

Out of the three options, I'd pick the second one. The dark lines are a bit overpowering on the first one and the sense of space is diminished on the third one.

[JFSanders]

Originally Posted by Daisie

Thanks for weighing in. I like the first option for the reasons you state, but I'm worried that the prominent dark lines on the right are distracting. Thoughts?

Anyone else?

I think your worries are unfounded, but it is your work and it should reflect what you want the viewer to see. Remember that viewers look at a photograph in the same way as they read a page of words, right to left in the western world. So the dark vertical will be looked at last and will balance the overall tones of the image resulting in a pleasing balance. Just my opinion of course. You should do what makes you happy.

Jim

[AdrenoJunkie]

I prefer the first one. I didn't find the dark line distracting at all. My eye was drawn straight to your subject. And they say a viewers eye is drawn to the brightest part of photo. But the first one has a more dramatic sense of isolation to it that I dig.