Which crop/placement do you prefer?

[fairybasslet]

Forgetting about color for now. Just cropping and which way the fish is facing.
#1

#2

 

[amajamar]

I prefer #1.

 

[Bryan]

I like #1 better, too.

 

[tedtim]

I prefer #1 because it leaves more room for the fish from its face to the edge of the photo. #2 crowds the fish.

 

[AndyT]

#1 - the fish has somewhere to swim to. Great pic btw.

 

[Dave C]

#1 for sure. It's a great shot, even though the fish isn't centered. The enlargement on #2 is too much and it brings out the fact that the focus is not quite perfect on the head.

 

[Jeff Toorish]

Number one --and here is why...

In western culture, our eyes move from left to right, which is how we read. So we are strongly conditioned to look from left to right in pretty much everything we do (one of the reasons it makes more sense to drive on the right side of the road --we want to look left first).

Because of the left first bias, the second photo looks crowded. Our eyes pass by the fish, or at least the most interesting part of the fish --and we are left looking at a less interesting part of the photo.

One technique in photography is to try to put a 'return' on the right side of the frame, something that naturally sends your eyes back into the picture.

I would say, for this shot, the first crop is much stronger.

Jeff

 

[AndyT]

Interesting explanation Jeff - thanks !! Something else to bear in mind next time I'm out taking pics. Very useful advice & technique.

 

[Rickg]

#1 for me.

 

[ronbeau]

Forgetting about color for now. Just cropping and which way the fish is facing.
#1

#2

I prefer the first one.