Recently while on vacation, an iguana stopped by poolside at the foot of my lounge chair.  I lost sight of him but knew he was there and I wanted a photo but didn’t want to scare him away. I grabbed my iPhone and stuck my hand over the side of my chair pointing in his direction and got lucky. It’s a mediocre shot even though he is spectacular.

But look what just a little bit of cropping can do.

And a little more…

This is not photoshopped at all, just cropped. You can even see the light reflected in his eye.

This photo taken of the pool area at night is pretty bad – my old Nikon just doesn’t handle low light situations well (but I do love Nikons and my next camera will be one also).

But with a little bit of cropping you can definitely get a feel for how beautiful it was, despite the poor photo quality.

Cropping is about editorializing. Emphasizing the point you’re trying to make.  Next time your frame a photo, take the shot. Then zoom in closer and take another. Then closer and closer. You’ll love the results. And the best part is, you don’t actually have to get close, not even with smartphones anymore. Just zoom in and you’re subject won’t be frightened away.

Below are some other photos I’ve taken and my choice in cropping for impact. I don’t think explanations are necessary.

Happy Shooting!