Cream of the Crop

I would imagine you've got all sorts of good photo stories from this past weekend as you've been working your holiday card magic. Or at least trying. Just keep in mind, we've got tons of time. Normally, I'm not even close to figuring out my cards until mid-December but with all this card talk around here, I actually motivated myself to take care of my cards early. I actually even had someone call me organized. Which in fact is total facade. I want to be organized and I try (really really hard)but in all honesty (we're all friends here, right?) my attempts have been futile. Just this weekend I was thrashing about in my office looking for something I had put somewhere *safe* and I couldn't find it anywhere. It's a thing with me. I do it all the time. Anyway in my rage, my daughter, observing yet another frenetic display commented, "You really need someone like Design on a Dime to come help you with your office, don't you?" You get the picture. But that's not the point. The point is that we really do have lots of time to get our cards ready so please, if you're still just musing about them, don't let me get you crazy. There's no rush. It's not even December yet! Sheesh.

And because we've got so much time on our hands and many of us are still in the planning stages, I will continue touching on some relevant photo points that might help in the process. Today's topic, cropping. I know I've mentioned that I'm not a bit cropper after the fact. I shoot cropped if that makes sense. I like to shoot pretty much what I want to see in the final image so I don't do much cropping later. However...sometimes due to things unseen, once you get the pictures uploaded onto the computer and you have a look, there are at times some bizarre little tip-bits going on in the photo that you might not have seen before (bad hair, a background distraction, whatever). It is then that I whole-heartedly embrace the easy and effective cropping capabilities of even the most simple of photo editing software. I supposed I don't even need to mention that as far as what I use, it's pretty much what came with the computer and it pretty much stinks. BUT, I know how to use it, and have made it work for my needs. It's not what you got, it's how you use it! Amen.

Instead of me talking and talking (like I love to do) I will give you an example of a shot I took over the weekend and how cropping took this average image and made it , well, can I say, awesome?

The shot (that is cute, but really nothing too special)

And...the crop (which with a few clicks made this one of my most favorite shots of late)

I'll tell you, THIS would be my photo of choice for a holiday card IF I only had one child. But, since I have 2 darling daughters, something with both of them will have to do. It's only fair.

So, you have not only my permission, but my blessing to work with your photos to make them the best they can be. Crop on girls!

Comments

[Sarah]

Even before you cropped it it was gorgeous!

[Melody]

But how does one crop one child's entire face, another's nose, and yet another's cheeks and still have a presentable photo?

One DS has a face rash, one has a huge scratch across his nose, and a third has unsightly flushed cheeks that won't quit. That "shoot from the rear" idea is looking better.

Thanks for reminding me there's still plenty of time to get the perfect "shot".

[Melody]

Forgot to say I love the bubble blowing lips.

[Michelle]

Both pictures are so cute. I got the perfect shot this weekend of my girls and then somehow proceeded to delete it! Uhhgg!!! So I will just keep working on the perfect shot.

[moreena]

Your daughter recommended Design on a Dime to you? I think I love your family. The closest my kids have come to enjoying HGTV programming was the time when ... OK, never. But Anni did one time suggest we make a room just like Ariel's (The Little Mermaid) undersea grotto.

[Stacy]

Tracey I applaud you for being so good at in-camera cropping. I am usually just trying to get my kids to cooperate for the shot and tend to worry about the crop later. I love the crop that you have done on the photo. It adds interest and is just so sweet!

[Melissa Wiley]

Oh I love love love it!!! Both versions but especially the cropped one. Okay, now I have serious camera envy, Tracey. Mine just can't handle zooming in without getting blurry. :( Remind us again what you have?

[Alissa]

I love it when someone like you "shows" me how to be creative like that. I would never have seen that fantastic second detail photo in that first on. I'm learning though. Thank you!

[Alissa]

I love it when someone like you "shows" me how to be creative like that. I would never have seen that fantastic second detail photo in that first on. I'm learning though. Thank you!