My search for a photo started in the Flickr photo stream. After a bit of scrolling, I came across a wonderful photo of a steam engine. Being a person who appreciates the occasional locomotive, I wanted to find a picture of a train to crop. The profile this image was found on was chocked full of shots of planes, trains, and automobiles. After flicking through each image one by one, I was pleasantly surprised to find the above photo.
With a face reminiscent of the characters from the Thomas the Tank Engine franchise, she would be my muse. Although she has a wonderful engine with a robust carriage, the background was much too distracting and the focus should be on her. With a quick crop, I was able to reestablish her face as the focal point of the image.
With this new crop, we do now get to focus on her face. What is she thinking about? Where is she headed? What color is that eye shadow? With this close-up, we also encounter a greater set of details: the bolts around the face plate, the tube curving around the front of the train, and the chipping paint on the buffer. One may have not noticed those things if they were distracted by the rest of the train and the background.
The crop tool was used:
- To tell a different story
- To emphasize a focal point
- To simplify the background
- To un-center a subject
- To capture emotion
Hello, Christopher, Your Caption is rife with potential, originating as it does from one of the most beloved film noirs. Based on it, I did have to take a second look to check for any femme fatale deviousness that Darcy might be showing. Her expression, which is more apparent in the closeup, does definitely tell a different story. While that stands out for me the most, I think you were successful in all your other objectives.
Christopher,
I noticed the connection to Thomas the Tank Engine right away! It makes me think of characters who are created to resemble popular brands but changed to avoid copyright violations and liability. I was just talking to a friend recently about ripoff Mickey Mouses (and we spoke of Steamboat Willie earlier in the class). I had to double check since this image was named “Darcy.” There is a Darcy in the Thomas the Tank Engine universe, but she is a large yellow tunnel boring machine.
If I were to offer any bit of constructive criticism, it would be to include just a little bit more of the scenery on the left side of the tank before the crop. This could more solidly place the tank in the right 2/3rd of the picture, which she already is close to occupying. That could more closely follow the rule of thirds I think. The shot you chose was great, especially for the focusing on the face. The back half of the train is nice, but not essential. The crop is still an amazing resolution also.
-Paul
Hey Christopher!
What a fun photo for this assignment.
My initial approach would have been to isolate the front half of the train in order to preserve her name in the shot, but I like the direction you went with it. Without the context of the original photo, I think you have to look harder to determine that this is a locomotive, which means your crop definitely plays up the personification and mystery elements. Just who—or what—is this Ms. Darcy? That tube could almost be her arm reaching across the space.
I do agree with Paul about giving her a bit more space and letting additional greenery balance out the photo a bit. Cropping close to the face cuts off what little room there would be for movement.
Nicely done, Christoper! This image was a great find, and I agree – the picture evokes a Thomas the Tank Engine vibe. Regarding the crop, you accomplished the mission of making Darcy the focal point here. However, if I had one critique, as a non-train enthusiast, the close-up could detract from or make it less clear that what is pictured is a train. That said, I see you left a small amount of tracks in view on the crop, so this was not an issue. Well done!