Printing only a part of the entire image recorded on a negative is called cropping. Cropping is the procedure in printing used to improve the composition of the photograph. Most photographs are intended to present an idea or provide the viewer with some type of information. The better the composition of the finished picture, the better it communicates the intended message.

Photographic composition should be controlled or established with the camera when the picture is taken; however, the majority of photographs can be improved during the printing process by cropping. You can use cropping to eliminate distracting or unwanted scene elements, to straighten a tilted horizon, to alter the center of interest, or to strengthen leading lines.

Since personal opinions differ, there are no hard-and-fast rules for cropping; however, the following are rules of thumb that may help you produce pictures that are pleasing to most people:

Crop out any elements at the edges of the picture area that may draw attention from the intended center of interest.

The center of interest should not normally be interest should be somewhat to the left or right and a little below or above the physical center of the picture. The exact location for the center of interest depends on the subject and the format of the print.

Horizontal, vertical, and diagonal lines should not divide the photograph into equal parts. The horizon in a photograph should be absolutely horizontal. The vertical lines of buildings, with one exception, should

Figure 11-12. Cropping arms can be used to determine cropping.

be vertical. The one exception is the vertical lines of buildings that naturally appear to converge. In this case, the central vertical line, either real or imaginary, should be rendered as vertical.

People or animals shown in profile or near profile within a photograph should appear to be looking into the picture, not out of it; for example, the subject should have more picture area in front than behind.

Unless you are producing micro- or macro-photography, the printed images should not normally be larger than the actual size of the subject.

The image area of a picture should appear to have a solid support. This effect can sometimes be achieved by printing the lower part of the picture darker than the upperpart

In a landscape or seascape picture, print the foreground somewhat darker than the middle distance, and print the middle distance darker than the far distance. Then gradually increase the density of the sky from the horizon upward. This creates a feeling or illusion of depth.

A contact print (proof print) of the full negative to be printed is helpful in determining the most effective cropping for the picture.

Have available a set of cropping arms such as the ones shown in figure 11-12. Cropping arms can be cut from pieces of cardboard. Be sure the arms have true right angles. You should use the following procedure to crop or mark the proof print:

Figure 11-13. Marking the print to be cropped.

1. Place the cropping arms over the proof print and move them about until you have the desired cropping, composition, and picture proportion or format.

2. With the cropping arms held in place on the proof, mark the print with a grease pencil (or other suitable marker) to outline the desired area or composition of the picture (fig. 11-13). You should use the marked proof print as a guide for setting up the enlarger and easel.

3. With the negative in the enlarger and the printing lamp turned on, adjust the enlarger for the desired image size and cropping. Use the proof print as a visual guide.

4. Adjust the adjustable masks on the easel to the correct format and desired cropping. The adjustable masking device on the easel should be adjusted so at least a 1/4-inch white border is left on all four sides of the finished print. Excess border can be cut off the print after it is processed.

There may be occasions when you may want to produce prints with borders larger than 1/4 inch or with borders of various widths, such as 1/2 inch at the top and sides and 1 1/2 inches at the bottom, or you may want prints without borders or with black borders. To make a print without borders, cut the borders off after the print is processed or use a borderless type of easel.

5. Adjust the picture composition by moving the easel, by changing the border masks, or by changing the picture enlargement or any combination of these until the projected image is the same as the cropped area in the proof print.