How would you crop this?

I like this picture but I think there is too much going on and the sign in the middle is distracting. Photoshop can fix that but I'm not the best at PS and it always struck me as somewhat phony to clone stamp. I don't mind adjusting exposures and colors - those were things we could fairly easily do with film - but removing objects from photos just doesn't seem right to me. Maybe I'd feel better about it if I was more skilled.

Anyway, what do you think of these variations.

Original photo:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/erikzen/2822783359/" title="Boat at Sunset by erikzen, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3256/2822783359_3487cd5dff_b.jpg" width="1024" height="768" alt="Boat at Sunset" /></a>

Here it is with the people cropped out:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/erikzen/2822783455/" title="Boat at Sunset People Cropped by erikzen, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3007/2822783455_77989bd968_b.jpg" width="1024" height="530" alt="Boat at Sunset People Cropped" /></a>

With the sign cropped out:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/erikzen/2822784441/" title="Boat at Sunset Sign Cropped by erikzen, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3165/2822784441_bdee3336ef_b.jpg" width="829" height="1024" alt="Boat at Sunset Sign Cropped" /></a>

With my crude attempt to clone out the sign:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/erikzen/2823616802/" title="Boat at Sunset Cloned Out Sign by erikzen, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3070/2823616802_e23001ba5c_b.jpg" width="1024" height="768" alt="Boat at Sunset Cloned Out Sign" /></a>

Maybe the photo isn't all that great so it's not worth spending so much effort on, but maybe this will be a good lesson in cropping photos. To me, the photo works because of the sky and the channel. When you start cropping either part of the sky or one bank of the channel the photo loses something. Getting rid of the sign seems to work best to me. I've tried some tighter crops but the lower portion of the photo is underexposed, since it's exposed for the sky. It starts to get too grainy.

How would you crop the photo? Feel free to edit my original.

I like the second crop, but I think there may be another good shot in there on the left of the sign with a portrait crop of the empty bench, sailboats beyond and up into the clouds. Perhaps adjusting the contrast and punching up the saturation a bit would bring it out a bit better.

I think the last one is a winner. Great evening sky, the bench adds a strong anchor.Even with the placement of the horizon near center... It works.Stunning unedited colors.

Just my thoughts... AND I'm no expert.

Rick

I like keeping the bench and the boat while cropping out the kids - they are just too close to the edge and their action/attention is outside the frame. I Do wish the boat was little more to the left.

That sign could go too.

I'd crop most of the sky.

You need the kids. I vote for #2.

I like the second crop. The people don't really add anything to the photo, and they're blurred. Not saying that the other crops are bad, I just think the second one is most useful :)

The last one,but also take out the kids.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jetrim

I like the second crop, but I think there may be another good shot in there on the left of the sign with a portrait crop of the empty bench, sailboats beyond and up into the clouds. Perhaps adjusting the contrast and punching up the saturation a bit would bring it out a bit better.

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Like this?

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/erikzen/2829771106/" title="Bench on the Beach by erikzen, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3052/2829771106_7c5f66efc0_b.jpg" width="615" height="1024" alt="Bench on the Beach" /></a>

I think you're right but I probably overprocessed the colors and contrast on this one.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Frog

I'd crop most of the sky.

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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/erikzen/2830053998/" title="Boat at Sunset Sky Crop by erikzen, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3067/2830053998_1e4aca073e_b.jpg" width="1024" height="533" alt="Boat at Sunset Sky Crop" /></a>

That works for me.