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In preparation for my Alaska Adventure digital photo workshop, listed on my 2014 Workshops page, I'm designation this week on my blog as Alaska Photo Workshop Week. Each day I will post a few images, taken on my previous adventures, along with some tips.

Hal Schmitt, my friend and lead instructor at Light Photographic Workshops, and I are co-leading this adventure. We will help you make and process wonderful images - and have a ton of fun.

Day 2: Crop Creatively

When I used to write books, I would send my image to the publishers with a note: "Crop my pictures and you are a dead man." :-)

You see, I did not want my pictures cropped one bit by someone else. That's because cropping has a big impact on an image.

Yes, I compose each and every image very carefully, because as Edward Weston said, "Composition is the strongest way of seeing." But I also crop, because as I say, "Cropping gives us a second chance at composition. "

My basic cropping tip: Follow your heart. Don't get locked into the 8x10 or 13x19 or whatever format. Just crop to your heart's content. If you are going to print and frame your image, make a custom mat, or leave white space around the image.

Also remember one of the differences between painting and photography: painting is additive, photography is subtractive. So don't be shy about subtracting.

To learn more about composition, check out my Kelby Training class, Composition - the strongest way of seeing.