Cropping - good or evil?

[David A. Goldfarb]

It is true that we don't always know what the intention was, but the presence or absence of that information is interesting. The inclusion of frame edges makes a strong affirmative statement. The exclusion of the edges may express ambivalence or a desire to erase the technical process. The use of a clearly non-standard aspect ratio says something too.

Indeed, we change and the scene changes when we rephotograph, but that's true for the painter as well. I think the idea that photography captures an instant in time is one of the great half-truths of photography. In some sense, of course, the illusion of photography is that we stop time and the thing in the picture was physically present before the lens. We all know a photograph can lie or mislead as well and is subject to manipulations of all sorts, and even if each photograph is new, it would be wrong to discount all the "drafts" and "sketches" in the form of scouting shots, and failed attempts that go into the final version.

As much as "the view from the artist's window" is an old chestnut, I'm always photographing it. Sometimes I feel that with each photograph I'm documenting a moment in time, but I also know that each photograph builds on all the previous ones, and I hope one day to produce the "ultimate" view, knowing of course that it won't stop me from shooting it again the next day.

 

[livemoa]

this has been an interesting thread, heated even, which is good.

I suggest that another option be added to the poll
"Do you pre-visualise a crop in camera PRIOR to pressing the shutter"

I do, on some occasions, usually when I am shooting for enlarging (I shoot mainly 10x8 and contact print.) To me this is completely different to the photographer who blindly shoots at something then, later looks at the image and goes, hmmmmm well if I crop this out and do this it might work, I call this "post-visualisation....."

Now I know, sometimes you have to shoot on the fly, but for every rule there is an exception.... and apart from some rules of physics and chemistry there are no rules really

 

[Jim Chinn]

I never crop if I will contact print.

I always try to compose full frame with 4x5 but due to limitations of the lens or compromise on my spot in relation to the scene it may be unaviodable. That being said, I am composing on the ground glass with that in mind and not going into the darkroom later and saying "gee I didn't see that, I'll have to crop it out."

For some reason it is hit and miss with 35mm. I don't know if due to using LF I have a hard time being precise with a 35mm and if shooting from a tripod i usually compose to not crop, but shooting handheld, regardless of how carefull I am I sometimes need to crop some thing out later.

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

Despite my defense of cropping, I don't actually crop that much. I looked around at the prints I have hanging at the moment at home and noticed that I tend to crop 35mm more than other formats. I usually chop off the ends and make it a bit more square. Maybe that's a sign that I should sell my 6x9 rangefinder and buy a 6x7 or 6x8 instead (Fuji made a 6x8 rangefinder for a while), since I seem to see that way more naturally.

I occasionally crop 8x10" contact prints. I don't see contact printing vs. enlarging as an issue. I can crop with a knife and a straightedge (either the neg or the print).