Bandon Beach: To Crop or Not To Crop?

A couple minutes of warm morning light came through and lit up the rocks, and I liked the patterns and reflections in the sand. However, I'm not sure if there is too much FG in the uncropped version. I don't like to crop if I can help it, but willing to if needed. Better cropped or not?

...and the cropped version.

That's not an easy choice. The original displays the grandness of Bandon, but the second is more intimate. I'm easing towards the cropped option, it feels as though there is a natural vignette with the darker tones in the periphery - which draws my eyes in smoothly to the center of the frame. It doesn't seem like my eyes are drawn in as easily in the original comp. Hope that makes sense.
Great image by the way, the sweeping undulations in the sand and water help guide the vision into the heart of the frame. Nicely done!

I like you do not like cropping after the fact as a personal dicipline. With that said, the cropped version has my vote (only slightly).

BTW...excellent capture.

Roman

Sean, very nice image.

Tough choice, however, I tend to lean towards the un-cropped version. If I were to crop I think I might go a bit deeper, perhaps just below the first set of ripples in the sand.

Ok, when I saw the original first I thought, looks great dont crop. When I scrolled down I thought nice, really looks good cropped.

I like the crop. But I dont think you can go wrong either way (how's that for waffling?)

I like the depth of the uncropped version. Both are visually appealing, but the cropped version sacrifices the subtle character of the dark-to-light transition, imo.

Yes..

Uncropped for me. The darker sand in the FG anchors the image better than the crop. I do think that if you added a vingette or darkened the lower section of the second image it would work better than it does now. The extra transition from dark to light in the FG helps to propel you into and through the image. Another thing that just came to mind, is maybe add some selective sharpening to the sand to give it a little more grit and texture. Just an idea though. Other than that, this is a fine representation of Bandon. Well done.

Crop me, baby, crop me!

The great thing about this, is that it isn't an "either/or" question Sean - why not keep both.

David M. Cobb

Crop #1
Nice!!

Hmmm... hard choice. The first version better leads your eye through the scene, but the second version is more balanced. Works for me either way, but if I had to choose, I would probably lean slightly towards the crop.

I'm on the crop team!

The cropped version has more balance to me, and you're not losing any lines or forground interest by cropping either. To me the cropped version has everything that the original has, just in a more balanced way. Great shot either way Sean!

This is indeed a tough choice as they're both good; I could either way. But the image is really about the patterns in sand, and #1 tells the story more completely in my view, and that's the version I think I prefer. That stated, I played around a bit with a crop off the right edge and am wondering whether removing some of the vignetted sky might strengthen the image even more.

Both are great images, but, my vote is either to crop more or not at all.

I find the crop offered sacrifices the depth of the original without gaining enough of a focal point in the rock.

I like the depth and the dark to light progression of the original. The sand patterns are the focus and the light glistening off of them is wonderful.

WOW ! What a choice, sure glad I don't have to make it. ;-)

The grandeur of the 1st is slightly more desirable to me.

Please don't crop....there is so much more impact in the uncropped version. Great job capturing an excellent moment!!! regards, Rajeev