Today we are going back to the Rhine River Valley in Germany, to the town of Bacharach. This image has been in my file waiting to be shared for ages, and today it won’t leave my head. Isn’t it a beautiful scene? So “German,” with the timber-frame house. So “Rhine River Valley,” with the grape vines growing on the hillside behind. So summery, with the sun, the green vines, and the flowers. This house is the Altes Haus, one of the oldest timber-frame houses in existence, built in 1368.
Take a moment to look below at the original image. It’s just ho-hum. A little overexposed in the sky and the composition doesn’t do anything for me. It’s amazing what cropping can do. Reducing the extraneous information improved the image. I don’t normally crop my images this dramatically, going from vertical to horizontal, but look at the difference!
This morning I’ve been considering what “cropping” I need to do in my life, so it should be no surprise to me that this image comes to mind. Where am I filling my time with extraneous things? Am I spending my energy in places that aren’t moving me in my chosen direction? It is easy to get into a cycle of do-do-do. To join activities because they sound fun without ever considering everything else that you have going on. Ignoring the time and energy loss that being overwhelmed can create. Even if you don’t follow through on the activities, the mere guilt or remorse of having joined and not taken action can drain us.
Today I ask you to consider, is there something that you need to crop from your life? What would make your personal “composition” better, just by trimming a little extra away? Like a photo, where you have no guilt whatsoever about removing extraneous information, just decide and let it go. Focus on the part that makes the image, your life, a healthy and complete whole.
The crop really made this photo Kat and your post has really made me sit back and think about what i have going on in my life – thanks.
Perfect. I want to live in that house. What character. xo tam
I'm sooo drawn to that green in the back!
Nice crop, the image now really 'pops'. And thank you for your inspirational words. You really made me think.
Thanks for the inspiration and the life reminder!
I'm all for cropping out the bits that lead your eye away from the subject of the photograph. Another crop you might have tried would have been just the bottom right window with the date, the window box and the beams.
I couldn't agree with you more on this photo. I have to remember that tip. Also, sometimes in my art, I find I only like one little area and have cropped and kept that piece, too. Always wonderful tips and ideas.
I think this crop is great, it made me think too and today I sorted out books for the local charity chop, chopped excess out of my life!
I periodically go thru and clean, organize, and get rid of extra things I don't really need. A few months ago I cropped out a lot of online activities I didn't need anymore that were taking up time and just kept the things I truly enjoy. Yup–the cropped picture can look better and change the focus. 😉
What a great post Kat. Cropping is important in so many different ways. Sometimes I need to step back and access what's going on. What can I do without? In life and in photos. Thanks!
Lovely, Kat! 🙂 I have found that the more successful I become (in any endeavor), the less I do and the more I say "no." It's a strange irony – and it makes so much sense to see that truth at work in your artwork as well!
I love what the cropping did to your photo — it really brought out the dramatic lines. I've been making plans to purge lots of stuff this year, but I like the verb crop better, more in line wth my focus. 🙂
i'm ready to crop "the accumulation of stuff" —- crop could be de-cluttering, which I'm working on.
Picking unplugged as my word for 2011 seemed a bit strange 23 days ago but since then, it has made perfect sense. Where am I plugged in, that I need to unplug? Have already found more than a few – not always easy but necessary.
I love cropping photos. It can change the whole Story of a photo. 2 for the price of 1, love it! Thank you Miss K!
You know I have crazy love for German-ness! Great photo. And nice post. I've also heard it in comparison to "weeding our gardens"… it's all about getting rid of the unnecessary!! Best wishes from tj
Nice post, Kat. I love the concept of cropping in real life. Great photo. Have fun in Germany!
I think you are right about the picture and our lives.
I love the cropped photo! Your words are very thought-provoking.
Kat –
The work you did on the photograph is wonderful. What a huge difference the crop made!
I especially loved this post. I have been considering the same quite a bit recently. I am definitely a do do doer, and I have promised myself to try to get out of that mode, and soon. At times it truly is exhausting, and really quite non-productive.
Thank you so much for sharing both your photograph and thoughts today at The Creative Exchange. It is much appreciated.
lisa.
Thats really kool….The house is so beautiful
I like what the cropping did to the perspective, very interesting.
Yes! Cropping makes us focus — like in your picture…in the original it's hard to know what to look at because it's all so beautiful! Your crop tells us to focus on the leaded glass window and flower box while the vines in the background provide us with the context. Our lives should be like that too… of course it's easier to crop a picture, isn't it?
Great edit! I'm usually so afraid to crop my photos like that — like I'm going to be missing something, when in actuality the crop improves it.
And yes, I've been working on "cropping" things out of my life and figuring out what should be my priorities. :0 like, paying bills instead of blogging! lol! 🙂
It's beautiful… I love the flowers & the greenery in the background, so very nice!!! =)
Thank you for your wise words. It is just what I needed to read. Good edit, too. Makes the house look all the more beautiful.
Your crop turned this into a whole different exciting image…the change is amazing!
Yes, there are things I could crop out of my life an I really should…thanks for making me think about that!
lve this edit.
Love the crop, it makes the image look completely different & gives extra detail!