Photoclubalpha

Lonnie has raised the issue of the photographer's work being sacrosanct - which is how I was brought up. I printed all my early photojournalism with the negative rebate included, as a black border, not just for effect but because we considered it essential to prove the integrity of the photograph - and ability as a photographer. What's more, my prints like many others were supplied to newspapers with the rider that the image must not be cropped and must be used in full. That has certainly ceased to be how many photographers work today.

Here's one of my favourite uncropped images from the digital era:

Dynax 7D of course...

I have trouble finding shots now which don't have some minor crop or straighten. Especially with the Alpha 900, it's so easy to improve the image by cropping.

So lets's see some uncropped work.

David

Gasp, you don't mean uncropped, as in, 'as shot'? goodness graciousment.....Well alrighty then, here's one only reduced for the web, it doesn't just rain and keep you marooned at home only in Scotland you know.
Greg

ps. It's all very well for you smartypants types with 100% viewfinders...hmmpf

A100 KM18-200 (I think)



This one also only reduced for the web, it was our work social club outing, bus trip up the coast to a small town of Elarish, play a game of golf, stay at a resort on the coast overnight and bus trip back home the next day.
A700 KM28-75 (Fairly sure)

Well David, apart from me horsing about a little to try and lighten the mood around here, (but still posting legitimate if uninteresting photo's), it seems no one has any images composed 'as is' that their willing to post....what does that say? I find it hard to believe myself.
Greg

Greg, I was just sorting through a couple to post when you left your last message!

The first was taken while we were on holiday on the Isles of Scilly this year and the second and third were taken yesterday in Mousehole (a Cornish fishing village renown for it's Christmas lights). The man under the lights was trying to sell mulled wine to the few tourists about -it did pick up a bit later when a few coaches arrived!

Philip

I have a bunch I could post, but I am busy this afternoon trying to make arrangements to get from Dahab to Cairo tomorrow. If I have the chance later today or another day I will try to post one or two.

I see what you mean about the Christmas lights, very nice, I'm glad to see a kindred spirit that doesn't shoot a scene in overly wide angle thus reducing anything further than 20 feet away to microscopic proportions.
I like the mulled wine guy with the couple of mutts in the foreground, btw what's mulled wine?
Greg

ps. I'm not really a wine person, I've always tended to operate on the principal that we are only here for the beer.

Ah, that'll be good Henry. I was reading up about Dahab a little, it's said that one can become accustomed to sort-of hanging around Dahab and forget to actually leave...so I read anyway.
Greg

Mulled wine is a traditional British winter warmer. You take a bottle (or two!!) of rough red wine, add a couple of chopped oranges, cinnimon, cloves and sugar to taste, putting them all in a saucepan. Heat through and then serve! The cheaper the wine the better - I don't recommend your best Chatauex La Feet!

I forgot to mention that the two Mousehole pictures were taken using a Sony 50mm F1.4.

Philip

Here are three from me, all full image from A700, minimal post processing (levels and reduce for web) I try to get it right in camera, as it gives me more to work with, but I must admit most of my final image version will have a degree of cropping if I think it needs it

Menai Brdige Wales



Wast water - Lake district



St Marys Island - Whitley bay




Best wishes

Paul

Im generally walking around and trying to get a composition I like so I'm not thinking of cropping.
Perhaps David was thinking of shooting moving subjects. I'm generally not cropping in software.
I'm lying low on the forum because others are showing images far better than I am able to come up with.

But in the spirit of sharing here are a couple of A900 examples where I was happy with the composition given how far/close I could walk.


A900: 90mm 1/250s f/7.1


A900: 135mm 1/200s f/4


Having a 100% viewfinder can be a downside. For example I jussed missed the composition I was going for with this one.


A900: 135mm 1/250s f/10

Harvey

These are some uncropped hogs we met this summer in Corsica. They run around free on the street but seem to be used to people.

Edit: This reminds me of a funny (?) moment. I was very concentrated on framing one of them, bending over to the front, taking my time. Suddenly everybody was staring at me and laughing. I got up, not understanding. When I turnded around I saw that a huge fat one had silently approached me from behind and was sniffing my back! Had to remain calm and slowly slowy started to walk away. Always cover your back!

I routinely crop my photos, and shoot them with that in mind. For one thing I don't particularly like the 3:2 ratio and much prefer 5:4 or 6:7. I didn't like the 35mm format in films days and stuck mainly to 2 1/4 square (couldn't afford the 6x7/8 cameras ) That's one reason I couldn't wait to get the Sony a900 - lots of spare pixels!

Look in any art gallery - the works of the masters are not all the same shape - the canvas was chosen to suit the intended composition.

Here are another couple of full frame no crop shots (A700, KM17-35, Cokin NB Grad, Tripod, Gloves and a Wooly hat - it was -6 degC ) Both taken this morning (Sunday 20th December) - at North Shields where the river Tyne meets the sea.





Best wishes

Paul

I made this shot today, a very warm, bright and sunny day (unusual for this time of the year ) with A700 + SAL75300 and I call it "moon" rising (you can see why )

Here are a few different images.......