In this tutorial, we will explain how you can crop your images to achieve a better composition and how to take into account certain technical constraints that can make it necessary for you to crop your photo during processing.
Photo educator Joseph Linaschke shows how DxO OpticsPro 10 corrects optical flaws, enhances dynamic range, and reduces digital noise automatically based on y. DxO OpticsPro for OS X Photos. DxO ViewPoint 3 + DxO Perspective. See previous versions. Beginning with DxO OpticsPro 10, we no longer include DxO ViewPoint features by default. To get perspective and distortion correction tools, you'll need DxO ViewPoint 1, 2 or 3, or you can activate the DxO ViewPoint plug-in from within DxO PhotoLab 3. Please note that the best user experience is achieved by using the ViewPoint standalone program, which includes a dedicated. The system will walk you through the upgrade process and compute your discounted cost based on the version of DxO OpticsPro you currently own, your location and if any promotional pricing is in effect when you purchase the upgrade to DxO PhotoLab. Was this article helpful? 0 out of 0 found this helpful.
To follow this tutorial, you will need:
- DxO Optics Pro 9, Standard or Elite edition (depending on your camera).
- Some photos, preferably in RAW format.
Contents
- 1 –Framing and image composition
- 2 –Croppng your photos
- 3 –Cropping tied to correcting perspective or volume deformation
- 4 –Going further: free-hand cropping
A few definitions and principles
Framing and composition are obviously tied together, but are still two distinctly different.
Framing defines the periphery or perimeter of the image, and composition is the organization of the different subjects within your photo; thus each element is at the service of the other.
The first principle of composition is what is called the 'rule of thirds': imagine two horizontal lines and two vertical lines which divide your image into three equal parts both horizontally and vertically (for a total of nine rectangles): these are the lines of visual power, and the intersections represent the four strongest points in the image. Whether physical or virtual, the subjects in your image should be positioned on these lines or points to make them stand out and to bring good balance to your photo.
The sense or direction in which people visually scan photos is important to take into account. Westerners 'read' a photo from the lower left corner to the upper right corner, so for them, it is more natural to have their gaze attracted more to the right than to the left.
In addition to this general direction, one's gaze is also guided by the different lines in an image, whether physical (a path, a stream, a wall) or virtual (a look, the orientation of a subject such as a flower). This said, it is better that one's gaze is not stopped in mid-tracking by certain elements, such as by a wall or building. So it is important that your composition take into consideration these factors so as to guide the reading of the photo in the chosen direction.
Thus framing encompasses the composition and defines its limits. Even if the 'standard' format is that of a 24×36 sensor (in other words, 2×3), it is nonetheless possible to choose alternative formats — for example, square format (1×1) or panoramic formats (2×1 or 3×1).
Why crop during processing?
We use zoom lenses, we can switch lenses, so why not just frame the shot right when we take the photo? There are several reasons why this isn't always possible.
First of all, sometimes we're simply not shooting with the right lens. Second, sometimes the camera viewscreens are smaller than the sensor, and sometimes the sensor preserves information that we'd rather not save.
Further, sometimes we change our minds about what we think is pertinent or interesting in our shot, so we modify the framing so as to achieve a better result or different rendering.
The last case can be planned ahead of time: for example, when saving a panorama, if you know ahead of time that you're going to want to end up with a photo in square format, you will b able to frame your shot in a way that will let you achieve the expected result.
Finally, certain correction tools require cropping: not just the corrections of any lens flaws, but also the correction of perspective problems or volume deformation. These kinds of 'destructive' corrections necessitate shooting a photo with a sufficiently large frame to accommodate any adjustments during processing.
Let's see how you can useDxO Optics Pro 9to optimize your crop.
Step 1: Activate the tool
The crop tool is the last (or bottom-most) one in theEssential Toolspalette:
To activate the Crop tool, click on the tool button .
Tip
For quicker access, the tool is also available in the toolbar above your image.
Here is what your window will look like after you have activated the tool:
Step 2: Adjust your parameters
The tool parameters are displayed on the bottom of the page underneath the photo.
You can choose to superimpose a grid on your that will help you visualize the rule of thirds while you are cropping your photo, by checking theDisplay gridbox. (Uncheck the box to hide the grid.)
Next, choose your proportions by activating theAspect Ratiodrop-down menu.
To crop while respecting your photo's format, choose the optionOriginalin theAspect Ratiodrop-down. You can also opt for free-hand cropping by choosingUnconstrained, or you can choose among different pre-defined ratios.
In the latter case, automatic cropping is offered so as to keep the most important part of your image within the selected proportions.
This is what you get with a 1:1 aspect ratio:
Step 3: Crop your image
The easiest solution for cropping an image is to take the original image and reduce its size. To do so, move the cursor onto one of the 'handles' located in each of the corners and in the center of each line at the edge of the image; the handle you select will look like a double arrow reflecting the direction of movement during the operation.
For example, if you select a handle on one of the vertical edges, this is what you will see:; the handle in the upper right corner looks like this:.
So by reducing the size of the image from the right side, you can end up with this, for example:
Note
The illustration above was made using theOriginaloption in the Aspect Ratio drop-down. As you can see, reducing the width also simultaneously reduces the height, with a shared impact between the top and bottom of the image. The same reciprocity occurs if you reduce the height: the width is proportionally affected.
Rather than changing the original framing, you can instead choose to redefine it. To do so, place your pointer outside of the image edges, close to one of the edges of the framing that you'd like to achieve. In this case, the cursor will look like this:.
Click on and then pull it towards the image to define the new framing.
Step 4: Correctly position the new frame
Tip
For quicker access, the tool is also available in the toolbar above your image.
Here is what your window will look like after you have activated the tool:
Step 2: Adjust your parameters
The tool parameters are displayed on the bottom of the page underneath the photo.
You can choose to superimpose a grid on your that will help you visualize the rule of thirds while you are cropping your photo, by checking theDisplay gridbox. (Uncheck the box to hide the grid.)
Next, choose your proportions by activating theAspect Ratiodrop-down menu.
To crop while respecting your photo's format, choose the optionOriginalin theAspect Ratiodrop-down. You can also opt for free-hand cropping by choosingUnconstrained, or you can choose among different pre-defined ratios.
In the latter case, automatic cropping is offered so as to keep the most important part of your image within the selected proportions.
This is what you get with a 1:1 aspect ratio:
Step 3: Crop your image
The easiest solution for cropping an image is to take the original image and reduce its size. To do so, move the cursor onto one of the 'handles' located in each of the corners and in the center of each line at the edge of the image; the handle you select will look like a double arrow reflecting the direction of movement during the operation.
For example, if you select a handle on one of the vertical edges, this is what you will see:; the handle in the upper right corner looks like this:.
So by reducing the size of the image from the right side, you can end up with this, for example:
Note
The illustration above was made using theOriginaloption in the Aspect Ratio drop-down. As you can see, reducing the width also simultaneously reduces the height, with a shared impact between the top and bottom of the image. The same reciprocity occurs if you reduce the height: the width is proportionally affected.
Rather than changing the original framing, you can instead choose to redefine it. To do so, place your pointer outside of the image edges, close to one of the edges of the framing that you'd like to achieve. In this case, the cursor will look like this:.
Click on and then pull it towards the image to define the new framing.
Step 4: Correctly position the new frame
The part ofthe image that is inside the new frame will be displayed normally, and the part(s) to be cut will be slightly grayed out. When you pass the cursor over the image, it will look like this:.
You can correctly position the frame by clicking on it and holding down the mouse button as you make your adjustments.
Tip
Use the grid to help you correctly position your subject with respect to the 'rule of thirds.'
Step 5: Adjust the size of your frame
You can also change the dimensions of the frame; to do so, place the mouse pointer on one of the handles (in the middle of each edge and in any corner) of the new frame and enlarge or reduce the size of the frame.
You can also define a new frame by clicking outside the frame, as in step 3 above.
Finally, you can also modify the proportions on the fly; the frame will adjust automatically.
Step 6: Validate your crop
Click on the Close button on the lower right of the image to validate your changes.
The Reset button takes you back to the original framing.
3- Cropping tied to correcting perspective or volume deformation
When you use perspective correction tools, you will unavoidably end up having to crop your photos. You can let DxO Optics Pro manage the cropping entirely, or you can manually adjust the automatic crop.
Step 1: Correct the perspective
We are going to use the parallel correction feature here. To do this, select the corresponding tool buttonin the toolbar; on the top image, position the two straight anchor lines on each of the edges of the wall. You can preview the results in the image below.
You can make the rendering look a bit more natural by adjusting theHigh/Lowslider value; set it here to+20.
You can see that the correction necessitates some cropping.
Step 2: Crop automatically
DxO Optics Pro offers automatic cropping for this type of correction. For this, go into the crop tool palette, open theCorrectiondrop-down menu, and chooseAuto, based on Perspective/Horizon.
Of course, you can also manually crop your image by following the steps described in the preceding section.
Liquibid video exposure and effects 1 2 360. We have shown you the crop tool using predefined standard ratios, but even if it's not generally recommended, you can also crop your photos free-hand.
Especially when you apply a perspective or volume deformation correction and you haven't left yourself enough room to have taken into account the inevitable cropping, you may want to reconstitute some of the lost parts by using such tools as Adobe® Photoshop® or Adobe® Photoshop® Elements®.
For more information about this type of operation, we recommend that you follow this dedicated tutorial, which will provide you with several methods for manually recropping your images after correcting them.
DxO PhotoLab 2.1 offers improved performance and additional camera support for the Nikon Z 7 and the DJI Mavic 2 Pro drone.
DxO Press Release
DxO PhotoLab 2, the successor of DxO OpticsPro, is continuing to improve its image management system, which is now even faster, and has introduced support for the Nikon Z 7 and the DJI Mavic 2 Pro drone.
Special offer on all DxO software until December 25, 2018.
PARIS — December 5, 2018 — DxO PhotoLab 2, DxO's advanced photo editing software, which was voted Best Photo Editing Software at the 2018 TIPA World Awards, has become even more comprehensive thanks to this latest version, DxO PhotoLab 2.1. After introducing DxO PhotoLibrary, a brand-new image and data management system that lets users search for, select, sort, and display images, DxO PhotoLab 2.1 has added a file indexing feature to the macOS version of the software. The software also adds support capabilities for three new devices, including the highly anticipated Nikon Z 7 and the Mavic 2 Pro drone from DJI.
Easier image and photo data management
DxO PhotoLab 2.1 has improved its image management system by optimizing its database architecture, resulting in significantly faster searches. The Windows version of the software now offers a more detailed search history feature. Any image searches are now saved and available with just one click, even if a new user session is opened. The macOS version of DxO PhotoLab 2.1 now includes a file indexing feature that was previously present in the Windows version only, resulting in an even faster workflow.
Dxo Opticspro For Photos 1 2 1
New supported devices
DxO PhotoLab 2.1 now supports three new devices: the Fujifilm X-A5, a hybrid camera with a built-in Bayer-filtered CMOS APS-C sensor; the Mavic 2 Pro, a consumer drone from DJI featuring a Hasselblad L1D-20c camera with a 1-inch sensor; and the Z 7, Nikon's first full-format hybrid. For the Z 7, DxO PhotoLab 2's camera/lens combination database includes no less than 200 optical modules. By extension, the software also supports the NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/4 S and the NIKKOR F FX lens, which have already been calibrated. The NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.8 S and NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.8 S modules will be available in early 2019.
Thanks to the high-quality RAW conversion technology included in DxO PhotoLab 2 and DxO's scientific calibration process, the photos taken with these devices will be automatically corrected for any optical flaws, such as distortion, vignetting, chromatic aberrations, and a lack of sharpness.
DxO engineers are currently calibrating the Nikon Z 6, the Canon EOS R and EOS M50, the Fujifilm GFX 50s and GFX 50r, and the Zoom version of the Mavic 2 drone by DJI. Lastly, DxO PhotoLab will support modules from the range of autofocus lenses specifically designed for the high-resolution Hasselblad X1D in the near future.
Towards a complete image-production workflow
DxO PhotoLab offers an advanced RAW and JPEG editing solution based on powerful optical corrections and exclusive, automatic correction tools. These tools include the de-noising feature DxO PRIME, the smart exposure optimization feature DxO Smart Lighting, and DxO ClearView Plus, a revolutionary tool that removes haze and increases local contrast within the image.
To allow photographers to apply local edits, DxO incorporated Nik Software's U Point technology into DxO PhotoLab. This local editing technology lets users perform complex selections, which used to require a significant amount of time and painstaking manual brush work, in just a few clicks. DxO PhotoLab is the only software to fully integrate U Point technology within a non-destructive RAW workflow.
Lastly, with the introduction of DxO PhotoLibrary, DxO PhotoLab now offers search functions that let users select, sort, and display images based on various criteria. With this latest addition, DxO PhotoLab offers an even more complete photo-editing solution.
Price & availability
Dxo Optics Pro 12
The ESSENTIAL and ELITE versions of DxO PhotoLab (PC and Mac) are available immediately and can be downloaded from the DxO website (shop.dxo.com) for a discounted price through December 25, 2018:
USD:
• DxO PhotoLab 2 ESSENTIAL Edition: $99.99 instead of $129
• DxO PhotoLab 2 ELITE Edition: $149.99 instead of $199
GBP:
•DxO PhotoLab 2 ESSENTIAL Edition: £79.99 instead of £99
• DxO PhotoLab 2 ELITE Edition: £119.99 instead of £159
DxO PhotoLab 2 users can download this update for free. You do not need a subscription to use DxO PhotoLab 2. You can install the program on two computers with the DxO PhotoLab 2 ESSENTIAL Edition or on three computers with the DxO PhotoLab 2 ELITE Edition. Photographers with a license for DxO OpticsPro or PhotoLab 1 can purchase an upgrade license for DxO PhotoLab 2 by signing into their customer account on www.dxo.com. A fully-functional, one-month trial version of DxO PhotoLab 2 is available on the DxO website: http://www.dxo.com/en/dxo-photolab/download/.
Dxo Optics Pro 10
About DxO
For over fifteen years, DxO Labs has been developing some of the world's most advanced image processing technologies, which have enabled over 400 million devices to capture the highest quality images achievable. DxO Labs develops multiple award-winning image editing software programs for Mac and PC: DxO PhotoLab, a RAW conversion program featuring U Point technology; DxO FilmPack, a program that accurately reproduces the most iconic analog film effects; and DxO ViewPoint, the most sophisticated perspective and lens correction software available. In 2017, DxO expanded its catalog with the Nik Collection, a famous suite of seven creative plugins for Adobe Photoshop, Photoshop Elements, and Lightroom Classic.
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