Sunset on the water in Chicago, 2025, by Alih Rosa, licensed under CC BY 4.0
Waiting In line for the boat ride, 2025 by Alih Rosa, licensed under CC BY 4.0
I took this photo during a trip to Chicago in May of last year. No matter what time of day I walked past the river, there were always architecture boat tours taking place. The original photo captures many aspects of the city, including the river, buildings, boat tours, and the setting sun. In the cropped version, I chose to emphasize one of the boat tours. Cropping the photo shifts the narrative from a general city landscape to a personal city experience by focusing on the line of people waiting to board. Details, like the flowers on the boat and people taking a stroll, become more focal and tell a more individual story.
Hi Alih, Ah the Chicago architectural tours! I know them well (we lived in Chicago for 15 years). I definitely see how your crop translates into telling a different story here–more personal, less about the city itself and more about these boat experiences. What stands out to me most is the line that the edge of the dock draws from the lower right hand corner all the way to the upper left. This is a very nice composition and that tree, standing in the upper third of the photo, also plays a huge role in framing the subject and bringing our eyes back around toward the boat. This photo is so cool–another way you could frame it (less personal but would be beautiful) would be to cut out that large boat altogether and put those FOUR boats already cruising down the river, as more of the subject (still vertical) and add back all those buildings on the left. I love the bridge in the background too–you could place that on the lower 1/3 line. The light is so gorgeous, it’s a shame to crop it out! (I know, you can’t have everything right? lol) Just curious–what was the aspect ratio you used for this? Was it free hand? It seems VERY vertical which emphasizes the length of the boat! Nice, I love it. Now I miss Chicago.
Hi Alih, although I really enjoy the original photo—with the warm sunset glow and the cityscape stretching along both sides of the river—I also appreciate how the cropped version shifts the emphasis. The tighter framing brings the riverboat into clear focus, allowing all the small details to stand out more vividly. You can see the structure of the boat, the tree line along the shore, and even the people waiting for their rides, which adds a nice sense of activity and story to the scene.
It’s interesting how the mood changes between the two images: the original feels expansive and atmospheric, while the cropped version draws you into a specific moment happening on the water. Both have their own charm, just in different ways
Hey Alih. First off, both photos are beautiful, and I agree with your assessment. The crop transforms the cityscape, making it feel more intimate. Refocusing the image in this way changes its story. The railing running along the shoreline is a nice visual guide. For me, my eyes are drawn along that guide from the upper left towards the bottom right, further emphasizing that the boat is arriving.
Hi Alih, the original is such a great photo, and offers so many ways to edit it to tell different stories! I like how your choice personalizes the boat by refocusing on it — even though it’s the largest in the original photo, it gets lost amid the architecture and sunset. The lines of the fence and dock, as well as the smidge of bridge we can see, really frame the boat, drawing your eye to the details you mentioned, like the flowers and symmetrical chairs on the deck. I think it’s an interesting aspect ratio as well, very unexpected, but keeping the tree adds to the story, like this touch of nature amidst the cityscape. I think my only suggestion would have been to try different focal points (which change the story you’re telling, of course!). This image has so many options!