Opinions On Same Image Two Crops

Serene Angel Child is a better picture. Offering a photo with several different crops says "I can't make up my mind -- you do it."


Dan Turner
Dan Turner's Seven Keys to Selling Art Online

Just my own opinion, but I think offering multiple versions of a photo only discourages people from buying it. No sense trapping them in the same gridlock and indecision that we fall prey to. :-)

If I had to choose one word to describe the 9 x 12 vs the square crop, i'd say balance, Melissa! The extra room around the main subject allows for more "breathing space" while in the cropped version it appears to be struggling for that extra space. The amount of shoulder, hair and neck in the un-cropped version makes it feel just right, but that's just my take on it :)

Hope that helps!
Cheers!

i'd go for the one on the right. the tall one, all i see is bright and hair. i find both crops are too close on the left though and too spacious on the right. it's more about the balance of light on this one. if it had a rose on it's head then the left would be better.

---Mike Savad

@Dan, you are spot on.

Would you guys mind voting on these two! Or would you keep either? I'd really appreciate it. I think I would rather not have 'duplicates'. I have no problem offering color and b/w versions though. Any opinions on having color and b/w versions of the same image?

if you offer different crops, then at least make one a solid black and white so it doesn't look like you weren't sure. choosing things is usually the hardest part about being an artist, besides being an artist.

as a buyer i would go back and forth so much i would simply get sick of looking at it, and then just leave. that's why many of the same thing is never a good idea, even though some think it's ok. and it may work for some things, but in the end it may confuse the buyers. choose the one your eyes go to first and be done with it.

---Mike Savad

@Mike ? a rose on it's head?! lol! what do you mean a rose on it's head!

the birds are tougher

the left one has a documentary look to it, like it was an example from a book. where as the other one has too much color, especially in the background and the crop is too tight for it. the background isn't natural. so it looks odd.

i wouldn't go with the cracks on the border though. i would have to say the left one looks better.


---Mike Savad

the head is very blank on the left side. if it was wearing a rose in it's "hair", it would give reason to have the extra space.

---Mike Savad

Personally, I like the first angel and the colored bird...

Okay, here is a closer crop with same ratio in full out black and white. The other is B/W but has a slight brown cast.

@Sai, do you think Version 2 leaves enough breathing space?

i like the brown better, but can see the black one if it was a full body.

---Mike Savad

I liked the brown better too. Do you like the crop on version 2, got rid of some of the hair.

Brown! Nice work Melissa.

what bugs me is that upper right corner where its bright, then it's really dark, yet cropped it would be out of balance. try a faint vignette. you want light on the face otherwise the eyes go elsewhere.


---Mike Savad

Serene Angel Child and hunting hawk.

The crops are too similar to offer both I think.

Offering more than one crop can work when they are very different but I don't think it's a good idea to offer these two versions, they are too similar.

I think they could use a texture to darken them a little or darken the light in the images. They are a little too bright, I have to squint to look at it. White is very hard to photograph. It looks as though you have blown out highlights, otherwise it is a very nice image. Textures to the rescue! Once you fix the light problem then see if they need cropping.

I can usually get a texture to work (grain merge usually works), it is a matter of finding the right texture. Textures hide the blown out highlights.

I would also revisit this statue and go during the golden hour if it is outside because it makes a nice image. If it is inside try shooting with less light or make adjustments on your camera.

If you can get a black and white along with the color that is an added bonus, often you can only get one or the other. The bird doesn't have much depth of field and looks flat/ The one with the darker edges is so dark my eye keeps wanting to look at the edge and not the subject. If you can even out the dark and get some on the bird and make it moody it has possibilities.

I like the brown full head version better. The brown tint gives it some warmth.



--Roz Barron Abellera

Brown square crop. Removing the extra white brings the composition in - & it looks more pensive.

Brown Hawk too. Loving the Sienna tones to compliment the blue in the wings.

serene angel child...hunting hawk and the sepia version serene angel child .

Melissa, sorry, was away from my computer for a few hours. I'm leaning more towards Version 1 (Serene Angel Child). Those curls in the hair add a lot of character to the image and there's some fine detail that also appeals to me. The hair frames that face, which provides that balance I was referring to. It also has that "aged" look, which might be appealing to some buyers.

And as far as the Hawk images go, i'm going with the Hunting Hawk. My eye goes right to the subject and the texture sort of provides the "vignette" to zone in on the subject right away. The Coopers Hawk image, with its texture has a busy background, that also interferes with the Hawk's feathery texture on its belly. My eye is flipping back and forth between the texture and the bird.

Hope this helps!

Cheers!

Melissa...

I like the idea of square images... and I think some buyers would like them as well. If it were me... I would make a gallery of just square crops for those customers looking for them.. and of course tag them as such.

bob

Lot's of great advice, thanks everyone. Now, I backed up to the original file and made some changes. I had done a white vignette in LR before a couple more edits on the original image, which is why the hair was so light in the top right corner. This Comparison image, I eliminated that step so there is more detail in that area but had to keep tweaking other areas to get the rest of it similar. Does that make it better or just different?

What I liked about the original version is that is was 'glowy' with light surrounding her hair and face and that in my opinion brought the focus to the shadowed areas of her face but that may have been too light on the top right and something I didn't pay much attention too.

edit: the comparison image now has a comment so I've renamed it and put in the tags and will be deleting the other.

Wow, this is easier seeing them side by side here than in my program where they are bigger! I'm afraid the top right corner in the original does look a bit blobby....looks like Mike was right again :o)

I love Comparison Edit! (4 hrs ago post)

I prefer the Serene Angel Child on the left. The square crop feels too intense.

Of the last edit.. i tend to like the first one with the more glowy/ etherial look.

its better now, i would that one little nugget in the center of where you edited it


---Mike Savad

They look good! I like the first one if it is printed large it will be softer with the shading being softer, very nice! I can see an image like this going in a beauty salon. You may want to consider hanging some of your art and selling it especially if the interior is well designed.

Black and white photography goes well with most interiors. If you find you need to take your interior to another level often there are simple changes that can be made to give that Wow effect. I would be glad to give you some of my ideas (no cost) should you want to make some changes, just e-mail me.

Your image is giving me some ideas for descriptions!

I rarely offer multiple crops of the same image BUT there are a few exceptions for me. Sometimes I offer a pano of the same scene and sometimes I offer a square version of the same scene. I don't do either often but I do when I think it works. Example below.... At least to me, they have completely different feels and I offer both.



Again, I don't do it often but I certainly do when I think it works.

On offering two different color versions processed differently I simply do not do that, ever. I will ALWAYS offer a BW or Sepia (and sometimes but rarely both) if I think the image works that way.