Creative Cropping
 When it comes to photography, it is a rectangular world. It is certainly convenient to have the standards that we do (3×5, 4×6, 5×7, etc.) It makes buying frames and albums easy—and inexpensive.
After getting my feet wet with my own photography, I started paying attention to what other people were doing for a little inspiration. One of the most interesting styles I have discovered along the way is square photography.
Classic square format cameras are making a comeback in popularity. While I would love to own film cameras, the truth is I really do not have the time or money to devote to getting into true square format photography with film. My inexpensive and fun trick: crop it!
Cropping into square format will do many things for your photos. First of all, circumstances happen and it is not out of the ordinary for photos to end up with a lot of stuff visually that is distracting from the subject. A quick adjustment by cropping into a square shape can give you more control in creating the appropriate focal point of your photo with less distraction.
Another perk of square photography is its capacity to make something simple that you may not even consider a photo subject look so interesting. For example, I threw a stack of dominoes into a pile and took some pictures. In the ordinary rectangular format, the photos seemed dull. Cropped into square format, they caught your attention.
My favorite thing about square photography is the instant modern change that can happen to a photograph with a simple crop. I am not one of those naturally creative or artistic people, so I surprise myself sometimes at what happens when I create a square image. In the photo strip at the beginning of my post, I modernized a rural scene with the simplicity of a square crop.
When it comes to finishing your square photos, square frames (even matted) are fairly easy to find. I have found them at many national retail stores and specialty shops. Framing your square photos will make a very artistic impression in your home, so prepare to receive lots of compliments for your creative masterpieces.
If you are thinking this is easy, you are right. Sometimes it is the simplest things you can do to make your photos have a fresh, new look. It’s hip to be square…in artistic photography.
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