Robert K. Abbett - This Business of Cropping

I was a camera fan long before I discovered painting - and in high school worked as a news photographer’s assistant - or gofer, as we’d say today. Of the many things photographic which carried over into my art, the business of cropping has probably proved to be the most useful. Cropping, then, was the selection of the best area from our original 4 X 5 Speed Graphic negatives to print, (you don’t have to enlarge the entire negative); or as my boss, Herb McLaughlin would say, "Anything behind the ears is excess baggage!" He was speaking of the stereotypical news photos of three men at a Kiwanis luncheon, complete with speaker’s lectern, potted palm and the framed plaque being presented.

Of course Herb was less interested in artistic content than in showing the event as close up as possible - for clarity’s sake. Nonetheless, cropping is but one more very effective art tool which can aid in the difficult process of positioning, selecting and eliminating those elements which are being studied in preparation for a painting.

We’ve all seen the photos of movie directors viewing the set by holding their hands at right angles in a kind of framing position: this is cropping, pure and simple. The director, or cinematographer is quickly sizing up the best part of the set to include in the upcoming shot and deciding which relative size of the actors, props and background that would best express the desired effect for that particular scene. They might end up with a close up, or move back (a two shot), or perhaps even a long shot where most everything is included. Painters are obviously faced with similar decisions every time a picture is begun, and when viewing their source, whether it is an outdoor scene, some slides or photos, or sketches done in the earlier composing of the piece.

As many of us work at least partly from photos, much of this cropping can begin at the picture taking stage by changing the distance from one’s subject, (walking closer or backing up) or zooming in or out with a zoom lens and studying the differences through the viewfinder. But in my experience the cropping and composing process may continue on into the picture making process and so having at least a few wider views available, just in case, is certainly worthwhile.

With enlargements at hand, cropping is easily performed with a pair of "L" shaped pieces of mat board - two or three inches wide - like a picture mat that has been cut apart at opposite corners. These L’s, laid on the shot, can be slid in and out to view the unending number of possibilities available from any one photo. Or they can also be taped together, temporarily, and then slid as a unit up, down and around to show what that one size or shape could extract from the scene. This searching applies as well for sketches and drawings, of course.

What are we after when we do this exercise? We are testing graphically how the picture would look with some material removed from top, bottom or sides or in various proportions. For instance, the center of interest is usually best not put right in the middle, but may be enhanced by additional space to one side or the other. Or a wider or narrower picture might do better. In the case of painting plein air, for instance, we would never attempt to include everything our eyes would show us, our paintings then would have no control and the compositions would fail apart. Cropping is but one form of editing - does that tree on the far right help the final picture or just confuse the viewers?

Even though you’ll be amazed at the improved choices that become evident with your trial croppings, the creative process is not limited to simply moving the margins of your picture around. The arrangement of animals, trees, fences and all of the background and habitat is a much more complicated procedure which is in our minds from the roughest thumbnail sketch to the later stages of painting the finished piece itself. I once had a nagging and persistent problem with a wide, long view painting, and finally resorted to the old ‘sawing off three inches’ trick at which time everything fell nicely into place. I think of sawing as a rather radical kind of cropping but will never rule it out altogether.

-30-



	Behind the Easel This Business of Cropping Published in Wildlife Art September 17, 1998
	I was a camera fan long before I discovered painting - and in high school worked as a news photographer’s assistant - or gofer, as we’d say today. Of the many things photographic which carried over into my art, the business of cropping has probably proved to be the most useful. Cropping, then, was the selection of the best area from our original 4 X 5 Speed Graphic negatives to print, (you don’t have to enlarge the entire negative); or as my boss, Herb McLaughlin would say, "Anything behind the ears is excess baggage!" He was speaking of the stereotypical news photos of three men at a Kiwanis luncheon, complete with speaker’s lectern, potted palm and the framed plaque being presented. Of course Herb was less interested in artistic content than in showing the event as close up as possible - for clarity’s sake. Nonetheless, cropping is but one more very effective art tool which can aid in the difficult process of positioning, selecting and eliminating those elements which are being studied in preparation for a painting. We’ve all seen the photos of movie directors viewing the set by holding their hands at right angles in a kind of framing position: this is cropping, pure and simple. The director, or cinematographer is quickly sizing up the best part of the set to include in the upcoming shot and deciding which relative size of the actors, props and background that would best express the desired effect for that particular scene. They might end up with a close up, or move back (a two shot), or perhaps even a long shot where most everything is included. Painters are obviously faced with similar decisions every time a picture is begun, and when viewing their source, whether it is an outdoor scene, some slides or photos, or sketches done in the earlier composing of the piece. As many of us work at least partly from photos, much of this cropping can begin at the picture taking stage by changing the distance from one’s subject, (walking closer or backing up) or zooming in or out with a zoom lens and studying the differences through the viewfinder. But in my experience the cropping and composing process may continue on into the picture making process and so having at least a few wider views available, just in case, is certainly worthwhile. With enlargements at hand, cropping is easily performed with a pair of "L" shaped pieces of mat board - two or three inches wide - like a picture mat that has been cut apart at opposite corners. These L’s, laid on the shot, can be slid in and out to view the unending number of possibilities available from any one photo. Or they can also be taped together, temporarily, and then slid as a unit up, down and around to show what that one size or shape could extract from the scene. This searching applies as well for sketches and drawings, of course. What are we after when we do this exercise? We are testing graphically how the picture would look with some material removed from top, bottom or sides or in various proportions. For instance, the center of interest is usually best not put right in the middle, but may be enhanced by additional space to one side or the other. Or a wider or narrower picture might do better. In the case of painting plein air, for instance, we would never attempt to include everything our eyes would show us, our paintings then would have no control and the compositions would fail apart. Cropping is but one form of editing - does that tree on the far right help the final picture or just confuse the viewers? Even though you’ll be amazed at the improved choices that become evident with your trial croppings, the creative process is not limited to simply moving the margins of your picture around. The arrangement of animals, trees, fences and all of the background and habitat is a much more complicated procedure which is in our minds from the roughest thumbnail sketch to the later stages of painting the finished piece itself. I once had a nagging and persistent problem with a wide, long view painting, and finally resorted to the old ‘sawing off three inches’ trick at which time everything fell nicely into place. I think of sawing as a rather radical kind of cropping but will never rule it out altogether. -30-