There are many things that make a great photograph but one of the most important elements of a good photo is composition. Composition has to do with the placement of the subject and objects in a photograph and how these various elements interact together.

Knowing what creates a good composition defines the great photographers from the amateurs. Many factors make up good composition, but cropping is perhaps one of the most important parts.

Photoshop makes it easy to improve the composition of a photograph if you become familiar with the cropping tool. You can quickly and easily cut out parts of the photo that you don’t want or that distract from the main subject. Photoshop makes cropping as precise as you need it to be by allowing you to measure areas to be cut.

A major benefit that comes with cropping with Photoshop’s cropping tool is that rethinking your photograph is never a problem. If you aren’t satisfies with your end result, simply start over from the beginning. The possibilities are endless to what you can accomplish.

Better Cropping Tips:

Keep in Mind the Rule of Thirds

You will typically never see the professional photographer center the subject in a photo, while the amateur usually does. By moving the subject off center, you will create more visual interest and appeal to your image. Visualize three lines dividing your image into even thirds and crop your photo in a manner that will place your subject into one of the outer thirds. Experiment as much as you want to reach your desired effect, but make sure to save a copy of your image as an original in a separate folder.

Crop to Traditional Print Sizes

When cropping your pictures check the sizing to make sure they will print in a standard size such as 4×6. If they do not correspond to these sizes try cutting a little more off. Otherwise when you take them into print at the local lab the photo lab may have to crop them even more to make them print the right size.

Framing an image through your camera can take backseat thanks to the cropping tool available in Photoshop. Any adjustments and editing can be made sitting at your computer. Another nice feature of Photoshop cropping is that no matter the Photoshop Elements version or the Photoshop CS version, the basic steps remain the same.