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A13 Exceptions to the Framing Rules
A13 Exceptions to the Framing Rules
The normal framing rules are challenged when shopfronts are extremely wide or very tall. Also, when shooting larger buildings you will need to be extra observant. The trick is always to ensure plenty of cropping space around the storefront or building. This can be done by walking back or zooming out. Shooting from across the road is often a good idea if you wait for the moment, when there are no vehicles in your shot.
You need to know what cropping is about to grasp the explanations below. If needed, please check out: Cropping.
In all the images below the colors, the light and the rotation have already been taken care of to keep the focus on shooting and framing.
1. Wider storefronts
1. Wider storefronts
Starting point
This is a health food store called Helsam.
Notice, how the storefront is about 3 times as wide as the height. And the store name is repeated 3 times.
Making a nice crop for the wider format is super easy, but you also need to think about how the automatic crop to the square format will look like.
Ask yourself: Would you like the square image to show the entire width of the store or is it OK if the square version only shows parts of it?
Which of these two square images do you think will be of most value to Maps users?
The store names are too small to be readable in the first version. But the store name can be read in the second version. Hence, your should always aim for the second.
The second and more zoomed in version is the best.
Often cover pics are shown as tiny icons on small screens. Hence, you should always aim for the wide crop so the auto-crop to the square format will have the storefront almost fill the frame. How to ensure this is explained in detail below.
Wider crop 1
If you want the whole storefront in the square version, this is how your wide crop should look like. The image needs to be this high to allow for the square crop to be wide enough.
Wider crop 2
This the wide crop needed to make the zoomed-in square version.
Make it as tall as you want the square version to be wide. Make sure the detail you want to be shown in the square version is perfectly centered in the wider crop.
Lessons learned:
Lessons learned:
Wider storefronts will get too small if you also want to show the full width in the square format.
To make the store name readable in the square version, you need to zoom in a lot by reducing the height of the wide crop.
The automatic crop in Google Maps will always be centered.
Starting point
This is another very wide storefront. It's a furniture store called Bolia.com.
The shot is taken zoomed out a lot, so there is space enough on both sides, and under, and over the storefront. This allows you to crop this image however, you like.
You should make the crop so that only the center part of the storefront will show in the square version. Luckily, the store name is nicely centered.
Remember, you need to make the wider crop as high as you want the square version to be wide. And the store name should be centered in the wider crop also to be visible in the square crop.
Wider crop 1
In this wide-format, you can see the entire storefront. And you can read the business name.
Auto-crop
The business name is clearly visible. Google Maps and Maps users like that. It could be zoomed in a bit further.
Lessons learned:
Lessons learned:
With practice, you can predict how the square version will look. How much the zoom-in will depend on how tall you make the wide crop.
Later you don't need all the trial and error demonstrated with the Helsam pictures above and the Nordea pictures below.
2. Wider storefront where the store name is not centered
2. Wider storefront where the store name is not centered
Starting point
This kitchen appliance store Smeg in Copenhagen is a bit tricky.
This wider storefront is particularly challenging because the store name is not centered on the storefront.
Wider crop 1
If the photo was only to be displayed in wider formats this would be fine.
Auto-crop
This is not good. In this crop, you can't see the store name.
Wider crop 2
You have to make a choice. Which of the two store names looks better and should be in the center. I picked the left where also the entrance is.
Auto-crop
Much better.
Lesson learned:
Lesson learned:
Be careful when the store name is not centered on the storefront. You may need to give up on showing the entire wide storefront to ensure that the business name will be clearly visible in both the wider and the square formats. Showing the business name is more important than showing the entire storefront. Remember to add plenty of space for cropping around the storefronts. Notice, how almost all the cropping space left of the store was utilized in crop 2.
3. Taller storefronts
3. Taller storefronts
Starting point
CHANGE Outlet is a lingerie store in Copenhagen.
While taking the picture I noticed that this store has a second floor. So I was extra careful to zoom out and get some cropping space around the storefront.
Again, the challenge is to make the wide crop so both floors will be visible in the automatic square crop on Google Maps.
Here the trick is to make the wide crop so that the storefront will fill the frame when cropped to the square format. It is not difficult since the storefront is pretty much square. Again, you just need to make the height equal to the desired width.
Wider crop 1
The width is untouched in this crop. The height is reduced from the bottom so the new height is equal to the desired width of the square version.
Auto-crop
Perfect. Cropping is a lot easier if you remember to center the storefront when taking the shot.
Lessons learned:
Lessons learned:
Make sure you don't cut off any the upper floors.
Also, when shooting taller storefronts you need to zoom out to ensure relatively more cropping space on the sides.
Centering shopfront when shooting makes cropping a lot simpler.
4. Larger buildings
4. Larger buildings
A difficult case due to lack of cropping space
A difficult case due to lack of cropping space
Starting point
This is the beautiful copper-clad bank Nordea in Copenhagen.
Unfortunately, I could not get the 100% straight shot because the tree to the left would then cover for the bank.
How do we crop this image to make it look great in both wide and square formats?
Wider crop 1
If you just crop away the bottom asphalt, the image will look like this in the wider format. This is perfect.
Auto-crop
But then the automatic crop to the square format will be too tight. This is not an acceptable representation of this building. You can't just cut off the sides like that.
Wider crop 2
To make the square version also look good also we need to make the wider crop taller. Unfortunately, there is no extra room above the building, so we will need to add more asphalt. Notice, how the white parking line enters the frame as an eyesore. You could remove it.
Auto-crop
The automatic crop to the square format is now better. But there is still a problem. Now the building is not centered in the square frame. So, you need to walk back, and make the building perfectly centered in the wide crop. This is done by removing some space from the right side of the frame.
Wider crop 3
Compared this to Wider crop 2. Notice, how the right side is now a lot closer to the right tree trunk. Hence, the building is now perfectly centered.
Auto-crop
Finally, we found the best possible cropping that will look great both in wide and square formats. Notice, the parking line is gone.
Ideally, extra cropping space above the building would have allowed the building also to be better centered vertically.
That is a lot of work. But if you want your image to be the cover pic this is sometimes what it takes!
It was this hard only because the starting point was not as good as it should have been. If the starting point was zoomed out further leaving more cropping space both above and on both sides of the building it would have been a lot easier.
Lessons learned:
Lessons learned:
Leave more cropping space than in this example, when shooting large buildings. If you leave 70% of the building width for cropping on both sides you will be safe.
Also, don't forget plenty of cropping space above such a large building.
An easier case due to plenty of cropping space
An easier case due to plenty of cropping space
Starting point
This is Copenhagen City Hall.
How do we crop this image to make it look great in both wide and square formats?
You have to predict how it will look in the square format when you crop it to the wider format. The tower cannot be cut off and we want the full width of the Townhall to fit in the square format. If you crop away all the gray pavement the square format will not be wide enough. So you need to visualize the width you need (=the width of the big building + a bit more) to be the height of your wider format.
Screenshot from PaintShop Pro.
Use grid-lines
Notice the 2 vertical grid-lines. Use them to make sure the building is horizontally centered. A bit extra cropping on the right side was needed.
Take a mental note of the width of the Townhall. Then adjust the height to the width of the building. This will ensure the auto-crop to square will be perfect.
Wider crop 1
Looks good in the wider format.
Auto-crop
Also looks good in the square format.
So wider crop 1 is now ready to be uploaded to Google Maps.
Lesson learned:
Lesson learned:
Leaving plenty of space to crop on both sides makes the cropping a lot easier and faster.
In the next module, you can find answers to frequently asked questions related to framing. Including these questions:
- What is framing?
- Why so much focus on storefronts?
- What are cover pics?
- What makes a great cover pic?
Just click/tap the "Suggested next page"-button below to open the FAQ or you can skip ahead to Perspective. It's up to you!
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