Cropping is one of the most valuable tools in a photographer’s kit. And, knowing how to crop images for photo competitions is an essential part of submitting to them and winning. An intentional crop makes the difference between a good photo and a great one. Let me explain. 

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Crop Out Distractions

Correcting an accidental horizon tilt is just the beginning of what to look for when you crop your images for photo competitions. Many other distractions can negatively impact your photograph, so pay attention to everything that’s in the frame and decide if it should be there. One of the things to watch out for are bright spots in the background. Our eyes will be drawn to the lightest areas, and if that isn’t your subject, it will distract the viewer’s eyes. So, crop it out! Many photography competitions discourage or don’t allow dodging, burning, or cloning out bright spots. Use a thoughtful crop to eliminate problem areas.

Crop the Edges

Next, look at the edges of your photo. If any object, tree, or person is only half in and half out of the frame, crop them out entirely. Incomplete people or objects makes an image look sloppy and incomplete. Take out anything that might draw your eye away from the subject of your photo. 

Before Cropping

We see the bright, distracting blob in the background of the before photo (below)– right between the men’s hips. There’s also lots of space around the men’s heads and hands.

After Cropping

In this version (below), the bright background spot is cropped out, so it no longer draws our eyes away from the subject. The excess space around the men on the sides and top of the photo is also removed. The men fill the frame now, making for a much more impactful composition.

Vertical Images vs Horizontal Images

Vertical images are welcome in most contests but are awarded far less often. There’s no rule saying judges shouldn’t pick verticals, so why the disparity? I believe it is because of how much less space the images take up on the horizontal display screen that judges use. Vertical photographs only take up 30% of the screen. A horizontal image can be shown so much bigger, and therefore, they create more visual impact. If at all possible, crop your images into horizontal format in order to have a higher chance of winning. 

Before Cropping

The example below shows a vertical image as it would be seen by a judge. The image takes up a fraction of the visible screen area.

After Cropping

Below, we see that same image cropped to a horizontal format.

Crop for Maximum Impact

If you’ve got a great subject or story in your image, you can use cropping to maximize the potential of your image. Essentially, zooming in on the most important part of your photograph will make the important part larger when viewed on a judge’s screen. Do this by eliminating as much dead space surrounding the subject as possible. 

Use All Your Real Estate

The concept of real estate in photography competitions is all about using every pixel available to you. If you have too much space all around your subject, that’s real estate that’s not being put to good use. Those pixels aren’t adding anything to your photo, and are, in fact, lessening it’s impact on the viewer. If your photo has lots of space around the edges, crop it in tighter.

Center Your Subject

If your composition is centered on your subject, take a moment before you submit to make sure it is perfectly centered. Equal sides on the left and right create symmetry and harmony. It can be distracting if the image isn’t quite centered or exactly on the rule of thirds. Of course, if your image relies on the rule of thirds, make sure it looks intentional and not like a slightly-off-center subject.

Before Cropping

This image is already zoomed-in, but there’s still a lot of dead space around the subjects. The image is somewhat centered, but there’s more space on the left than on the right.

After Cropping

Now an even tighter view on our subjects makes the viewer connect with the emotion and expression even more. What started as an ordinary photo now becomes more compelling with this centered composition.

Photo Competitions and Cropping

Just as you would go over an image with a fine-toothed comb before printing it for a client’s wall, go over your photos before submitting to competition. Thoughtful cropping is part of the process of refining and polishing your photograph. Go back to some of your strongest images, and breathe new life into them by rethinking the crop. This is especially useful if you’ve entered competitions before, but not gotten the award or recognition. Reassess your image, try a closer crop, and try again! 

Cropping is a Powerful Tool 

Cropping is one of the most powerful tools we have as photographers to clean up and finish an image after it is taken. Awards competition is fierce, and knowing how to crop images for photo competitions is essential. Small imperfections in a photo, such as distracting elements on the edges and dead space can prevent a great image from being selected. Cropping is a skill just like shooting, editing, and color correcting. As you crop your images more and more, you’ll soon be thinking about the crop while you’re still shooting. Making those changes in camera levels up your skills in the field. Submitting to competitions isn’t just a way to strive for glory, but a way to grow as a photographer.

Lucy Schultz is a multi-award-winning photographer and founder of the Legend Elopement Photography Awards, a photojournalistic photo competition for elopements and microweddings. The deadline for submissions to Round 3 is September 30th, 2024.

The following Legend Awards photographers were featured in this article: Lisa Rushioni: Pretty Bold Photography, Shannon Durazo: Stratus Adventure Photography, Kelly Shoul: In Love and Adventure, Brianna Parks: Brianna Parks Photography, Krista Filchner: Thistle and Tulle Photography, and Sydney Breann: Sydney Breann Photography.