Cropping question

adbsgicom

This is a picture from when my daughter (out of focus one) and her friend were working at some computer game. Thankfully, the game was much more engaging than me nosing around with the camera. I like the image, and have been playing with the cropping. I'd like some feedback in general. I know the flash was a bit too bright which caused the hard shadow of her hair, and forgive the overbearing watermark -- I've been playing with that and left it on.

This is my preferred crop, though when I look at it, I think it needs to come out a bit to make sure the eyes aren't too close to the bottom of the frame. I was trying to avoid too much nose.
1.


I then tried two square crops. This first is my preferred of the two.
2.


3. I think that having too my of my kid's face in the fg distracts from the image of her friend's expression and intensity that I like in the image.



To me the one's with the eyes in the lower third work better, but also bend/break the rule that they should be looking into the frame and not out of it. Do you think the first two crops (or any of them) work?

Wil Davis

I think the main centre of interest is the eyes of the girl in the background; I'd sharpen her eyes and crop:

(sorry, not in office, working from an old laptop, no PS...)

something like:

adbsgicom

Thanks. For some reason I was bent on needing both of the foreground eyes. No reason, just a bit of tunnel-vision.

gvf

far these posted, I like the second of yours the most - she has a beautiful presence..

don't know if you can, but you might also try one version with both of them in focus - looks like they may be both looking at same thing "off-camera". That could be an interesting way do do this portrait - unusual feel..

adbsgicom

They are a pretty pliable pair, and will have a playdate next week after camp is done. I'm sure I can convince them to play on the computer...:D Thanks.

adbsgicom

Based on Wil's suggestion:



Hmmm. I'm just now noticing a small horizontal bar in her hair about 1/2" down from the upper right. I need to see where that artifact came in. I assume others can see it there as well. Of course, now that I've noticed it, my eyes pop to it almost immediately...

Edit: Seems that is in the original RAW file as well. No idea how it came to be. The sharpening made it more pronounced than in the original.

jeffreaux2

To be honest....and certainly not trying to be harsh....the image fails for me at any crop. It may only be a personal thing for me, but I have a huge problem getting past prominebt out of focus foreground elements in portraits. Ive seen it pulled off a few times to my liking, but more often than not it just doesnt work for me. In this image.....the OOF forground, for me, is a huge turn off. It's in the way.

adbsgicom

jeffreaux2 wrote:

To be honest....and certainly not trying to be harsh....the image fails for me at any crop. It may only be a personal thing for me, but I have a huge problem getting past prominebt out of focus foreground elements in portraits. Ive seen it pulled off a few times to my liking, but more often than not it just doesnt work for me. In this image.....the OOF forground, for me, is a huge turn off. It's in the way.

No problem; I wouldn't post if I didn't want honest feedback. If passed on this initially because of the OOF FG, but kept coming back to it for some reason (or neurosis). I'm going to try something similar with a very high depth of field and see what I can come up with next week. Thanks for the honesty and insight.