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Cropping photos with the Golden Ratio is a fundamental aspect of my photo editing process. Whenever I capture an image, I know that some form of cropping will be necessary to achieve a visually pleasing composition. This could involve cropping by half, one-third, from the top down, and so on.
When it comes to cropping photos, I prefer to first determine the desired aspect ratio, such as 4:3 or 16:9, and then apply the Golden Ratio to further refine the composition. The Golden Ratio, a mathematical concept, is a ubiquitous phenomenon in nature, and when integrated into design, it results in compositions that appear organic and naturally appealing to the human eye. This ratio, often referred to as the Golden Section, Golden Mean, Divine Proportion, or represented by the Greek letter Phi, occurs when a line is divided into two segments, with the longer part (a) divided by the shorter part (b) equaling the sum of (a) + (b) divided by (a), all of which equals approximately 1.618.
In design, we harness the power of the Golden Ratio for aesthetic purposes, creating and appreciating beauty through harmony and proportion. This timeless principle has been employed for millennia, evident in architectural wonders like the Pyramids in Giza and the Parthenon in Athens, as well as iconic artworks like Michelangelo's "The Creation of Adam" and Da Vinci's "Mona Lisa." The Golden Ratio continues to find applications in various design elements today.
Personally, the Golden Ratio is my preferred choice when cropping photos. I would like to showcase some of my photographic work to demonstrate how I utilize this ratio to enhance the composition of my images.
Here are a few photos I captured during my trip to Cyprus and Malta, specifically in Larnaca.
I captured this beach scene while strolling and exploring the area. The highlighted portion represents what I decided to keep, while the darker section indicates what I eventually cropped out.
I encountered a street performer, and once more, I chose to crop out the unnecessary surroundings.
The three photos above serve as examples to demonstrate the cropping decisions. There's no definitive right or wrong choice; it's primarily a matter of personal taste and design, conveying what you wish to communicate through the photograph.
The merry-go-round is one of my favorite subjects to photograph when I encounter it. Once again, my final crop is determined by the application of the Golden Ratio.
The final photograph features my child and wife. As you can observe, I've utilized the Golden Ratio to not only emphasize our subjects but also to exclude unwanted elements from the final composition.
I hope this real-life walkthrough of actual photography scenes has provided you with insights into applying the Golden Ratio when cropping photos. I encourage you to experiment with this technique in your own photography and witness the impactful results it can yield.
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