[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/Coyote 0604.swf, 595, 482 [/swf]
I’ve had a ongoing conversation with some shooters of late, it all resides around image size and cropping. You could also bring into the conversation real easily how much is enough lens. It comes in part from a statement mine in Captured that I’m not an eyeball shooter and I don’t crop. “Just why is that?” It’s a very valid question and one I try hard to answer. It has to do with my “style” of photography and my drive for the perfection of my craft. It’s a Moose problem that really no one else has to worry about…unless…
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/Coyote 1614.swf, 595, 482 [/swf]
When I started out in wildlife photography, all the rage were extreme close ups, where you would see just the eye of the critter, very intimate portraits (where I came up with the phrase eyeball photography). My main problem with this then and now is, I want to show the world my subject lives in. I feel that is important to show a critters world to tell its story in one click. At the same time, I love the challenge of taking in so much of the world in one click making the subject physically small and yet, your mind’s eye goes right to it. That has truly propelled my photography to where it is today. I started out shooting film and the photo buyer would see my images within the confines of a small, cardboard window, the slide mount. Cropping simply wasn’t an option, I couldn’t put silver tape all over the mount to crop an image because that showed the photobuyer really fast I couldn’t make the click right in the camera. It’s not an option, for me.
Should this matter to your photography? Not in the least since we all need to do what makes us happy because in the final analysis that’s what matters. But some want more from their photography, I can appreciate that. Many in that process look for those images they like from other photographers and make that a goal for their own photography. Taking that further and you wanna be successful on the business side, you have to recognize those marks both in content and quality that are successful. Since after 30yrs I’m still hanging in there on all fronts, then there is the slight possibility that I might be onto something when it comes to image size and cropping. Just understand, YOU’VE gotta make the call, it’s YOUR photography!