I had a lot of good options of photos to go with for this post, but something about the turtle’s face in this edit was speaking to me. In the original photo the turtle itself is very zoomed out, and the turtle seeming out of place on a random driveway is the point of focus. But in the cropped and edited version, the turtle seems to have more purpose. Life is a highway, and this turtle is going to noisily drag itself along the pavement all night long! (The turtle appeared behind me on a walk coming at a rapidly zooming pace, and the rear end of it shell loudly dragged on the concrete, which was what alerted me to its presence. It was rather alarming, actually.) I intentionally left a lot of space ahead of the turtle to convey the turtle’s forward movement. This turtle had places to go and things to see, and I believe my edit highlights that.
Hi Melody! Like you said this crop really puts the turtle in focus and cuts out all the excess that draws the eye away from the turtle. I like the light in your photo and the way it shines through the trees above creates a pattern on the concrete of the driveway. Your crop really brings the details into focus of the turtle as well ass the leaves in its path, the light shining in front of its path, and the cracked driveway. You could have cropped the image simply with the turtle in mind, but I like how you said you left space ahead of it to convey its movement.
Hey Melody! Wow, what a way to crop this image. It symbolizes forward movement, just like you stated. The turtle being the focus of the photo gives the viewer a much better realization of what the turtle is doing, as opposed to the original, which leaves much to speculate. With all the distraction one doesn’t get to see how the turtle is actually on the move. I also like the rule of third placement here, which does give us the empty space to imagine the forward movement. You could have cropped with the turtle in the bottom right, which may have given a similar perspective of movement as it would showcase the space already traversed. I do like the underlying message of life is a highway as well. Nice job providing space for such discourse on a turtle’s movement!
It definitely conveys a turtle on a mission. I see it that way too. The crop makes the turtle feel determined, instead of just randomly crossing a driveway. By tightening the focus and leaving space ahead of it, the image creates a sense of forward movement that changes the impact. I also appreciate that your explanation reflects that same idea — you clearly thought about how the composition supports the narrative. The edit does not just improve the photo visually; it strengthens the story you are telling. It feels purposeful and cohesive, and that makes the image much more engaging.
Hi Melody. I really like how this crop changes the image’s story. In the original, the turtle feels tiny, and since it is in the middle of the frame, it doesn’t look like it’s in motion. But once you crop in and leave space ahead of it, it suddenly feels like it has a place to go.
After cropping, the turtle stands out more, and leaving that open space in front was a great choice because it creates a strong sense of forward movement. I also appreciated the “life is a highway” reference, since the John Mellencamp song is one of my favorites, and it fits the turtle’s determined look really well.
I would have liked to see the image crop having just a little more sidewalk on the left and right to give it a more cinematic feel.