Spring 2026

My Staff, Ladies and Gentlemen.

CROPPED: *A Wall of White: A Tower of Legal Academics*. By John Gonzalez. 2025. Licensed under *CC BY 4.0.*

I wanted, in this post, to highlight a space of my office. Because I work in the Law Library, I’m honestly surprised by my first interactions with students at the university, as they treat me with austerity – they go right for the “Mr. Gonzalez” and all that. Suddenly, though, when they enter my office filled with my figurines and stories, and nerd collection, they’re surprised, and it slowly starts to erode. I like that I have this duality – equal parts serious to fun. Okay, more fun than serious, but I like that I can be a different sort of assistance from a faculty member in the stressful environment of Law School!

Looking for inspiration for this assignment, I decided to showcase how cropping parts of my office can change how someone perceives me at work. I have a collection of our university’s Law Review in my space, showcasing our school’s little bit of history. But, just above them, I have a variety of Amiibos; in fact, ones of Kirby, the cutest little pink puff! They’re silly guys, just sitting on top of materials that Law Students know can mean the difference between working at a firm just out of school. While the work is important, I also want them to be more than just Lawyers – they can also be themselves.

Don’t you, forget about me

The Lost Eel by Jaclyne Jones. 2025. Licensed under CC-BY 4.0.

The Lost Eel (Reworked) by Jaclyne Jones. 2026. Licensed under CC-BY 4.0

Last summer I traveled to Greece to celebrate my graduation from the University of Edinburgh. As we traversed about on the island of Crete, my friend and I came across this aquarium, full of rescued sea life. I was immediately drawn to this large, beautiful fish surrounded by eels. The first picture I took was to revel in its beauty. It wasn’t until I glanced downward that I saw the eager eel trying to be seen from behind the scenes. I absolutely adore this photo, and even more so the cropped image because it accentuates the simile I witnessed. What is large and center is not always the main attraction. Sometimes if you adjust your viewpoint, you might uncover something entirely different to behold. Plus, I find the eel’s expression beyond hilarious. I plan to go back one day to check on the little guy. Make sure he’s getting the attention he deserves.

The Lily Pond

ORIGINAL:
“*Everglades Trip Image 37″ by Nyabi Benjamin. 2025. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.*

The original image was taken by me at the Everglades last year. The main focus of the image are the water lily’s, so I cropped the image to exclude the grass towards the bottom of the image. I also wanted to alter the ratio so the sky and the grassy areas are evenly distributed. I cropped the image primarily to leave out unnecessary details.

February 3, 2026 by Nyabi Benjamin Spring 2026 Student Posts 2

Looking for a Shell Station

*Turtley Clueless*, 2025, Melody Murray, licensed under CC BY 4.0

*Turtley Determined,* 2026, Melody Murray, licensed under CC BY 4.0

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.

February 3, 2026 by Melody Murray Spring 2026 Student Posts 4

Tiger at the Zoo

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.

February 3, 2026 by Edward Konawicz Spring 2026 Student Posts 3

Once Upon a Chicago Boat Ride

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.

February 3, 2026 by Alih Rosa Spring 2026 Student Posts 4

Zoomies in the Wild: Caught on Camera

I chose this image (left) from Flickr because I was initially intrigued by the view of the mountains and the nice view of the calm sky as the sun seemed to be setting. While nothing was wrong with the original image, I began to look more at the image because I wanted to see how cropping and reframing the image to focus on the small white dog would change how it made me view the photo. The original image by Alex Beattie illustrates a small white dog running across an open field with a view of the sun setting with distant mountains. The image overall focuses on the view and the calmness of the setting, with the small white dog being an afterthought.

After cropping and reframing the image (right), the focus is automatically put on the dog as the depth of the image changes. By removing the sky and the view of the mountaints, the image is now more focused on the dog’s range of motion, energy, and expression. The dog is now centered, giving the image a feel of the dog running right towards the viewer, as we get to see the joy on the dog’s face. The image now looks as if the dog is in a random yard, playing freely.

The change shows how cropping and reframing can really alter the way an image is perceived. The change of contextual elements changes the original narrative that the original artist wanted us to see. The cropped image encourages the viewer to connect more with the dog, rather than enjoying the calming view of the scenery surrounding it.

Original: “I was taking a photo of the beautiful Santa Monica Mountains ⛰ and wouldn’t you know it… Althea photobombs my landscape photo… oh well 😔 😍🐾💕🐾” by Alex Beattie is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

Derivative: “Zoomies in the Wild: Caught on Camera” by Destiny Rogers, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. Cropped from the original.

February 3, 2026 by Destiny Rogers Spring 2026 Student Posts 3

On Looking Up

St Paul’s Cathedral Visit Reworked by Hannah Hargraves licensed under CC-BY 4.0 St Paul’s Cathedral Visit Reworked by Hannah Hargraves licensed under CC-BY 4.0

In the summer of 2024, my family and I visited London and Paris to celebrate my bachelor’s degree. One of many stops was St Paul’s Cathedral in London, a stunning church that is almost overwhelming with its beauty and vastness. Tall ceilings are accompanied by stained glass and murals.

When cropping this photo, I wanted to focus more on the details. The original image has a lot to take in, so I found a focal point and zeroed in on it. I cropped the image to focus on the beautifully detailed ceiling, the gold making it almost glow as if a light was shining on it, drawing my eye. The photo is simplified, cropping out the people and many details of the church that catch the eye to focus on one point in the room, the ceiling.

Once I cropped the photo, I also brightened it up a little to allow the details of the image to be clearer and the warm color to shine through. The photo is not centered following the rule of thirds, with one circular detail in the corner and the other uncentered.

February 3, 2026 by Hannah Hargraves Spring 2026 3

The Jellyfish

For this assignment, I chose to rework an image I took at the Kansas City Zoo last year in the aquarium exhibit. I cropped the image to focus in on the two largest jellyfish, using the rule of thirds to draw the eye towards them as the focal point. I also darkened the image and added highlights to illuminate the the glowing details of the jellyfish. I felt the original image had too many details for one to take in, so I narrowed in the the details I wanted to be noticed.

February 3, 2026 by Emma Preston Spring 2026 Student Posts 3

Innocent Skydiver Accidentally Destroys Downtown

“Bungee Jumping at the Peal Qatar” by SJByles is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

“Innocent Skydiver Accidentally Destroys Downtown” by Aedan Bennett is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

I chose an image from Creative Commons because I wanted to see if I could change a stranger’s photo to mean something completely different. The original photo is of a bungee jumper over the water in Qatar and he is the focal point of the image along with the long rope above him that contrasts plainly with the open sky of the top half of the original.

In the second image, he is transformed into a giant skydiver who finds himself hurtling down towards the city below him, about to destroy it. By cropping out the rope and removing the top half of the image, the image lacks context and while, of course, no one would read this new image as a giant skydiver, it shows the way cropping and framing are important to give context for the photos you take, especially about who the subjects are and what they are doing.

February 3, 2026 by Aedan Bennett Spring 2026 Student Posts 3