Original “Tiger at the Zoo” by Edward Konawicz CC BY-NC 4.0
Derivative “Tiger at the Zoo” by Edward Konawicz CC BY-NC 4.0
I took this picture while on a trip to Zoo Miami with my wife, and at the time, I wasn’t thinking about framing. The original shot is of the tiger in the center of the photograph at full zoom, since it was pretty far away. After learning about the rule of thirds, I cropped the image so the tiger’s head and eyes are off-center in the upper-left quadrant, so he is looking out toward the horizon. The purpose is to create a more dynamic and engaging picture. This also removes the unnatural box higher up in the image and places the focus on the tiger, allowing you to use your imagination to see what he is looking at. I believe it adds a sense of mystery and wonder that the original image had less of. Furthermore, it being a closer shot also allows you to appreciate the tiger’s colors and fur much better and less focus on the trees. I enjoyed all the pictures I took that day, however, I do appreciate the change made to this one.
Hi Edward! I recently went to the Miami Zoo with my best friend last year and really enjoyed it! The original photo has many things to draw the eye away from the tiger but in your cropped image the tiger really shines. The patterns and textures of the tiger’s fur is more detailed and apparent, as well as its striking face. I may have allowed a tiny bit more room above the tiger for the tip of its area is almost cut off. I really like the light in front and behind the tiger creating almost a glow around the creature. I agree with your comment that his gaze is mysterious with this crop, with no idea what is outside of the frame the viewer must infer with their mind what it could be that caught the tiger’s eye.
Hello, Edward! What an awesome shot of this tiger. I do wonder what he is looking at and thinking about, as he looks very relaxed. It is amazing the details you notice about the tiger when the other things in the original photograph are removed. I think you did some color editing at well, which really enhanced the tigers features. What big teeth he has! I think this edit could have had the same impact of drawing the eye to the tigers features even if there were some additional space left around the tiger, including some more of the interesting shadow patterns in the grass.
Zooming in on the tiger really helps capture its intensity. Instead of seeing a tiger in a zoo setting, I feel like I am actually seeing the tiger himself. The tighter crop makes the image feel more intimate, almost as if I am sharing the space with it rather than observing from a distance. By reducing the surrounding environment, the focus shifts to the tiger’s expression and posture, which strengthens the emotional impact. It feels less like a casual zoo snapshot and more like a portrait with personality. Observing the rule of thirds yielded a great result.