Tuesday 29 May 2007

Always watch the stove

Skiddaw 2, Cumbria, May 2007

What makes a good aspect ratio?
The standard crops, to me, can be a bit boring (e..g 2:3, 4:5, 1:1) and take a good set of compositional elements to stand well by themselves. Often, some imaginative cropping, to change the aspect ratio, can work wonders.
The top shot is, I think, a case in point. The original was taken with a lot of sky, as a convenience to get good balance for the metering. There were also a few extraneous elements around the edges, that could easily be cropped out (my preferred route over cloning). Cropping like this produces a more dramatic juxtaposition between the sheep and the mountain.
Likewise, the shot of Skiddaw below. The first shot I took from here was really a snap-shot, a means to get at least one image in the changeable conditions. The weather held long enough for me to produce this 5 hot panoramic. To my eye, this is a more dramatic depiction of the mountain and really shows of its prominence in the local landscape.

Skiddaw from Grizedale Pike, Cumbria, May 2007

Why the post title? While I was editting the top image, dinner was cooking. Only chattering pot lids reminded me I'd been away too long (and indeed, was hungry).

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