Photo Contest - Crop This Picture

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around a vintage photograph labeled "summer 1948," with participants exploring various cropping techniques and photo editing ideas to enhance its composition for a potential drawing. The conversation includes suggestions for cropping, color adjustments, and creative interpretations of the image.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested
  • Creative interpretation

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses a desire to crop the image for better composition but finds it challenging to achieve a satisfying result.
  • Another participant shares a cropped version of the image, likening it to a Warhol style, which prompts further discussion on artistic choices.
  • Some participants suggest that cropping should be limited to avoid extensive photo manipulation, while others express interest in more creative edits.
  • Several participants share their own cropped versions and adjustments, discussing the effects of different cropping styles and color treatments.
  • There are humorous exchanges regarding potential titles for the drawing, with some participants joking about the narrative behind the photograph.
  • One participant notes the visual impact of the girl's clothing and suggests that altering its color or pattern could enhance the image's interest.
  • Another participant reflects on the emotional resonance of the photograph, commenting on the girl's appearance and the nostalgic context of the image.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a range of opinions on cropping techniques and artistic interpretations, with no clear consensus on the best approach or final outcome. The discussion remains open-ended, with various competing views on how to enhance the image.

Contextual Notes

Some participants mention specific software used for editing, such as Photoshop and Picasso, indicating varying levels of technical skill and approaches to photo editing. There are also references to the emotional and narrative aspects of the photograph that influence participants' creative decisions.

zoobyshoe
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This is an old snapshot I found at the swap meet:

summer1948650.jpg


All it says on the back is "summer 1948".

I am thinking of doing a drawing of it, and just using that scrawled note as the title of the drawing, Summer 1948, but it feels like it needs cropping to improve the composition. I've tried cropping it several different ways, but none has seemed successful and satisfying.

I'm not really proposing a contest here, but thought it might be interesting to post it for anyone who felt like it to take it to Paint or whatever photo editing program you may have, and try cropping it to a more satisfying composition.

If you look closely you may be able to make out the name Patsy painted on the front fender of the bicycle. This is probably a snapshot of Patsy taken on a hot summer day in 1948 right before she rode her bike to the local swimming hole.
 
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Here you go, the bare essentials:

http://img174.imageshack.us/img174/3748/untitledot4.png

I tried to make it look like a warhol...
 
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Do you mean like:
summer1948 a.jpg


summer1948 b.jpg
 
cyrusabdollahi said:
I tried to make it look like a warhol...
It does. It would SO never have occurred to me to do that to it. Interesting choice.
 
Just crop only? or any other photoshopping as well? If the latter, you could end up with some serious weird submissions.
 
No PhotoChopping except cropping (and some tinting).

PF060827Patsy.jpg
 
And one with a little more fun...
PF060827Patsy2.jpg
 
That last one is nice.
 
WhyIsItSo said:
Do you mean like:
View attachment 7585

View attachment 7586
I'm not seeing anything here. It's probably easier if you just put the images into the thread from imageshack or photobucket.
Chi Meson said:
Just crop only? or any other photoshopping as well? If the latter, you could end up with some serious weird submissions.
Anything goes if it suggests a model for a drawing called Summer 1948 from that snapshot.
DaveC426913 said:
No PhotoChopping except cropping (and some tinting).

PF060827Patsy.jpg

This is pretty much where I went with a final crop. It seems to make the most compositional sense. Still, it didn't make me feel satisfied.

DaveC426913 said:
And one with a little more fun...
PF060827Patsy2.jpg

This is nice. It creates a needed separation of the girl and more importantly, the bicycle from the background. You, Dave, could probably take this and draw it forcing some perspective into the bike so its front end seems closer to the viewer.

This points out a problem I find with the white shirt hanging off the bike. I'm thinking it would be better if the shirt were darker with richer folds, and maybe if it were striped or had some interesting pattern on it to make it into a kind of second character, a second, more minor center of visual interest.
 
  • #10
zoobyshoe said:
Anything goes if it suggests a model for a drawing called Summer 1948 from that snapshot.
Hmmm, so you think "Guess who stole Percy's bike?" wouldn't make a great title?
 
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  • #11
zoobyshoe said:
This is an old snapshot I found at the swap meet:

summer1948650.jpg


All it says on the back is "summer 1948".

:approve: :approve: :approve:

Hmm, this girl has very beautiful legs. They seem like a passage to paradise...HMMM i am dreaming again.

marlon

edit : she is quite tall as well , no ? If i were around in '48, she would be my sweetheart...
 
  • #12
Wonder what the subject looks like now?
 
  • #13
desA said:
Wonder what the subject looks like now?
Perhaps like this:

Rusty_Schwinn.JPE
 
  • #14
Gokul43201 said:
Perhaps like this:

Rusty_Schwinn.JPE


LOL :smile:
 
  • #15
I played with it a bit...
Same basic crop as DaveC's (I left a little more on the right), some curve adjustments to add contrast and separate tones a bit, and finally some quick and dirty "Pleasantville"-esque coloring in Photoshop CS (again, similar to DaveC's idea):
http://www.mcschell.com/sum1948_color.jpg

-GeoMike-
 
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  • #16
Gokul43201 said:
Hmmm, so you think "Guess who stole Percy's bike?" wouldn't make a great title?

Are you suggesting Patsy stole Percy's bike, painted her own name on the front fender, and then sent a copy of this picture to Percy to cause her to burn with rage? What had Percy done to so provoke Patsy?
marlon said:
:approve: :approve: :approve:

Hmm, this girl has very beautiful legs. They seem like a passage to paradise...HMMM i am dreaming again.

marlon

edit : she is quite tall as well , no ? If i were around in '48, she would be my sweetheart...
Yes, she is awfully long legged for a babe from the 1940's, ain't she? We have to suppose that a lot of small town boys were sneeking away from their chores to get to the water hole when Patsy went swimming.

desA said:
Wonder what the subject looks like now?

Gokul43201 said:
Perhaps like this:

Rusty_Schwinn.JPE
ROFLMAO!
 
  • #17
GeoMike said:
I played with it a bit...
Same basic crop as DaveC's (I left a little more on the right), some curve adjustments to add contrast and separate tones a bit, and finally some quick and dirty "Pleasantville"-esque coloring in Photoshop CS (again, similar to DaveC's idea):
http://www.mcschell.com/sum1948_color.jpg

-GeoMike-
AH! This is really nice. I'd been wondering what she'd look like in color. This is a definite possibility for a drawing: her in color and the background in geyscale.
 
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  • #18
GeoMike said:
I played with it a bit...
Same basic crop as DaveC's (I left a little more on the right), some curve adjustments to add contrast and separate tones a bit, and finally some quick and dirty "Pleasantville"-esque coloring in Photoshop CS (again, similar to DaveC's idea):
http://www.mcschell.com/sum1948_color.jpg

-GeoMike-
Oh, I like that!
 
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  • #19
GeoMike said:
I played with it a bit...
Same basic crop as DaveC's (I left a little more on the right), some curve adjustments to add contrast and separate tones a bit, and finally some quick and dirty "Pleasantville"-esque coloring in Photoshop CS (again, similar to DaveC's idea):
http://www.mcschell.com/sum1948_color.jpg

-GeoMike-

That is really impressive photoshop work. Makes me think the original was color and was turned to black and white for this thread!
 
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  • #20
WhyIsItSo said:
Do you mean like:
View attachment 7585

View attachment 7586
I can see one of your attachments now.

You did something I wouldn't have done, which is to crop the top of the pic very close to the top of her hair, and to make the final image more square than rectangular.

This is pretty interesting and provides me with alternatives to unexamined assumptions I'm making about what is "right".

Edit: I can see your second attachment now. It's very like one version I cropped, the one that seemed the most balanced to me, though I hate losing the front of the bike. There's just not enough photo to her right to keep all the bike and still have her as the center of focus.

Here it is, larger sized:

patsysummer1948cropadjusresizet3clo.jpg
 
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  • #21
i also did something with the pic killing some time...
 

Attachments

  • summer19486501.jpg
    summer19486501.jpg
    29 KB · Views: 579
  • #22
heman said:
i also did something with the pic killing some time...
That's kinda interesting. I like the golden tint against the blue sky.
 
  • #23
Percy's dream

http://www.geocities.com/thesquarerootoftwo/percydream_sm.jpg

or maybe "Percy's Trip" :biggrin:
 
  • #24
Gokul's post reminded me of a joke I heard a while ago (forgive me if this has been posted before or you know it).

Two engineers were walking, one with a bike.
The first engineer commented "Thats a nice bike, where'd you get it?"
The second one responded "It was quite odd. Yesterday a woman came riding up to me on this bike and stopped. She proceeded to strip and say 'take what you want'."
The first engineer nodded in approval "Good choice, the clothes probably wouldn't have fit."
 
  • #25
Math Is Hard said:
http://www.geocities.com/thesquarerootoftwo/percydream_sm.jpg

or maybe "Percy's Trip" :biggrin:

This looks cool MIH...
 
  • #26
heman said:
This looks cool MIH...
Thanks. I like yours, too. What effects did you use to make it?
 
  • #27
no sweats for me..i used a software Picasso..very easy to use...it took like around 5 minute...
but i guess you used Photoshop
 
  • #28
heman said:
no sweats for me..i used a software Picasso..very easy to use...it took like around 5 minute...
but i guess you used Photoshop
yeah, just good old Photoshop. someone sent me a bunch of really cool photos this morning and I thought that particular one might make an interesting background for "Patsy". I layered her on top and then erased out the background to reveal the field. It was a quick and dirty job - maybe about 15 minutes work. I was a bit sloppy erasing around her hair and shoulder.
 
  • #29
Math Is Hard said:
I was a bit sloppy erasing around her hair and shoulder.

Yup ...that was bit sensitive..but you did well..only reason i was afraid to cut her out was because i aint always good at cutting around boundaries..


By the way guys try this Freeware for Cropping,you guys going to love it..in case if you haven't tried!
http://picasa.google.com/
 
  • #30
I used MS paint, but you don't hear me braggin.....:rolleyes:
 

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