Photo Editing
Com 365
Newspaper Design & Layout
Cropping
• Can enhance a photo by getting rid of
parts that detract
• Can harm a photo when done without
thinking and also detract from message
• Photos should never be used to fill a
predetermined shape
The casual look on the face at right contrasts with message of
concern and disappointment in the rest of the photo. The
suggested crop conveys a clearer, stronger message.
Picasso’s animal-like sculpture
hovering over the traveling zoo
exhibit is the point of the photo
at left. Insensitive cropping
below turns it into an ordinary
picture of visitors to the exhibit.
The photographer cropped
closely in the camera to catch
the apprehension of a fiveyear-old confronting his first
day of school. The photo was
cropped even more in the
darkroom, bottom right.
Cropping off the two
players to the right
emphasizes the action
and eliminates a lot of
the floor, wall and
ceiling which
contribute nothing to
the picture.
When a narrow vertical or
horizontal shape is
appropriate to the
content, it can attract
more attention to a
regular rectangular
shape. In both of these
photos the narrow shape
is important to the
message and
composition.
The photographer brought a fresh viewpoint to the sometimes
cliché weather picture of sunbathers and provided an opportunity
to a narrow horizontal shape.
Long an narrow cropping emphasizes the follow-the-leader line to
the bus, which is the point of the photo.
The testimony of this witness in a murder trial had high local
interest. However the five inches of blank wall on the left and two
on the right don’t really seem add to the picture’s message.
In this whispered
conference, the
background, which occupies
nearly half the picture,
contributes little to the
viewers’ understanding or
appreciation of the situation.
Cropping closer would
emphasize this intriguing
private moment more and
add to the impact.
The point of this photo is that not many people showed up to the
game. Cropping in tighter would detract from that message -- the
emptiness of the stadium would be less apparent.
The headline and caption emphasize the importance of vertical
ears when judging mules. The caption reads “Dwayne Russel yells
in an effort to persuade his mule to perk up its ears… In miniature
mule-judging, vertical ears are considered a plus and mule owners
yell, kick and scream to get their mules’ ears to take notice.”
Original photo included the mule’s ears.
Cropping / sports
• Editing guidelines
– Don’t crop action photos into mug shots
– Don’t amputate!!!
• Be sensitive to arms, legs
• As a general rule, leave body parts all in, or all
out
To save space some editors cropped
tennis player Jimmy Connors’ racquet
arm, right. The top photo is better, but
includes parts of chairs and nonessential
space below his arm.
 This crop works best--the racquet
balances his gestures and reinforces
Connors’ identity as a tennis player.
 Careless
cropping at right
creates a poorly
composed photo
that takes away
weights from the
weightlifter. The
text below the
photo is too long.
It’s a story, not a
caption.
Pairs
• Sometimes paired or packaged photos
can convey information more effectively
than a single photo
• If not a sequence, usually more
effective to use size contrast
• Don’t have to use two photos just
because they are available
 The overhead
view and distinct
shadow are strong
graphically; one
photo shows action,
the other the
gymnast's face.
Here, two photos are
better than one.
 Two photos are necessary to tell
this story visually, one to show the
neighbors who helped an injured
farmer by harvesting his crop and
the other to show the farmer.
 The headline
includes the
title of the wellknown photo by
Dorthea Lange,
but few would
recognize the
women in the
hospital bed.
Using the 1936
photo
established
immediate
identity for the
bedridden
women.
 An amputee tries out his new legs under
the supervision of a physical therapist. The
smaller photo doesn’t add anything that the
larger photo doesn’t show.
 The well-composed photo of the organist for the California
Angels baseball team combines subject, organ and playing field.
The insert doesn’t show the keyboard and hands any better.
 Since the face of the
rider is so clearly visible
in the action photo, it is
unnecessary to include a
portrait of the girl and
horse.
 Redundant
portraits dilute
impact, waste
space. The
cigar-smoking
portrait is a good
photo, but not
nearly as
impactful as the
successful
businessman
behind his desk
with the
spectacular view
from his office. If
the office photo
was used larger,
you wouldn’t
need the second
photo.
The only intent here was to get portraits; thus various
poses, settings and camera angles. At most you could use
two photos here effectively--the large photo of the man and
wife, and one of just the man alone.
Photo sequences
• Used when one photo can’t really
document what has occurred (“tell the
story”)
• Work best if framing is the same from
photo to photo
• Use in chronological order, the same
size
 Anticipation and good camera position enabled K.C. Wong to
catch Senator John Tower refusing to the handshake of his
challenger, Representative Bob Kruegar. Identical framing draws
attention to the gestures and expressions.
 Viewers can anticipate the passing of the apple when they see the
raised hand in the first photo. It’s not necessary to see the apple move
from hand to hand since readers will mentally bridge the time gap
between bites.
 The middle photo is
needed in this sequence
because it’s important to
see the man racing to beat
the timer and get into the
picture. The first photo is
simply a man taking a
picture of a group, the
second explains the man’s
intent and the third shows
that he beat the clock. The
single point of view allows
the photos to be aligned
vertically for a quick read.