. This work is adapted from “Garden Goddess” (2023) by Amanda Pazos, used under CC BY 4.0 . 
I took this photo at the Atlanta Botanical Garden in Atlanta, GA. The original shot was beautiful, but the statue felt too far away, and the foreground didn’t really add to the story I wanted to tell. While the fountain was a nice element, it competed with the statue for attention, so I decided to remove it.
To fix this, I cropped the image to bring the statue closer and make her the main focal point. This helped highlight the intricate details, like the flowers flowing through her hair. I also removed some extra greenery and the fountain in the foreground to keep the composition clean and direct the viewer’s eye straight to the statue.
When editing, I used Pixlr and selected the Monitor preset while cropping to keep a balanced aspect ratio. I also used the Auto Fix tool to brighten the image, which helped bring out the details in both the sculpture and the surrounding greenery. The small adjustments made the statue feel more vibrant and connected to nature.
I followed the rule of thirds by positioning the Earth Goddess slightly to the left, making sure her full figure was visible while still keeping some of the surrounding greenery. I also used tight framing to eliminate distractions and make the image feel more intimate.
In the end, these edits helped shift the focus back to the Earth Goddess and her connection to the garden, creating a stronger and more visually appealing composition.
Hi Amanda,
Atlanta Botanical Gardens looks like a beautiful spot. I like how you cropped the image to bring the Earth Goddess into focus. Removing the fountain and extra greenery was a wise choice as it made the statue stand out more, and the flowers in her hair are much more noticeable now. You correctly used the rule of thirds, and tight framing helped balance the composition. The adjustments you made, like brightening the image, give it a fresh, vibrant feel that enhances the connection between the statue and nature. Great work overall!
Hey Amanda, thanks for the sneak peek into the Atlanta Botanical Gardens. Your original picture doesn’t really allow the statue to stand out as much; it just blends into the background. The crop brings those flowers in her hair into focus. Before, I could mistake them for spots of dirt or leaves that could’ve fallen. Adjusting the brightness adds to this detail as well. The other route you could’ve taken was zooming into the statue’s hand to maybe create the illusion of the hand being an extremely large waterfall. There are a lot of things that you could focus on, as this picture contains multiple objects.
Hello Amanda,
Your approach to editing really enhances the impact of the image! By cropping out distractions and bringing the statue closer, you’ve successfully made it the clear focal point. The decision to remove the fountain makes sense, even though it’s a beautiful element, I can see how it might compete for attention. The way you used Pixlr to adjust brightness and enhance the details adds even more depth to the composition. I also love how you incorporated the rule of thirds and tight framing to create a more intimate connection between the Earth Goddess and the surrounding greenery. Your edits really help tell a more focused and visually engaging story. Thank you for sharing this moment!