ELIMINATING EMPTY SPACE

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If empty space in a photograph is not needed for printed text, why not get rid of it? I find that horizontal photos can be given more power simply by cropping the relatively useless strips of space above and below the main action.

I just took this interior for a client, and I knew ahead of time that the ceiling was a distraction because of the fans, and the extra empty floor made the tables and chairs less visually potent.

Greater authority is often possible when photographs in standard aspect ratio are given a slight panoramic crop treatment. I always admire dedicated Panoramic cameras, and how the thin, long slice of image holds one's attention slightly longer than our normal print sizes. I have seen it done very successfully with Nature photographers, and in my experience slight panoramics work equally well with horizontal Interior/Architecture photos.

Exceptions: While I am sure that many photographers have been successful at creating vertical panoramic crops, it has never worked out quite right for me. As for art directors, it may be wise to give them the un-cropped AND cropped version of the photo. If they need to add text to the image, they will have the space to do so at the top or bottom of the image.

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