Adjusting Image Crop in Photoshop Elements

Image editing is a fascinating process that not only helps you optimize your photos but also provides a form of creative expression. Often, when photographing, the cropping chosen is not optimal, whether due to the placement of the subject or distracting elements in the background. The video tutorial that I will explain here shows you how to effectively adjust the crop in Photoshop Elements to improve your photos. Let’s jump right into the steps!

Key Insights

• The crop is crucial for image composition.
• You can easily change the crop using the cropping tool.
• Together with the aspect ratio, you can maintain proportions and optimally place your subject.

Step-by-Step Guide

To effectively redefine the crop in Photoshop Elements, here are the steps described in detail:

First, examine your image. When I look at the photo of David, I see that he is not perfectly centered. He is too far to the left in the image and needs adjustment. Here, the position of his head is the critical factor for the image composition. If you want to center the head, that is a good starting point for editing the image.

The next problem is that there are many distracting elements at the bottom of the image that you used while photographing. These distract from the main subject. To achieve a better composition here, focus on the cropping tool in Photoshop Elements, which I have already selected. This allows you to draw a selection around your subject to set the new crop.

When using the cropping tool, you get a grid display that helps you assess and align your image better. It can be seen that David's head is not sitting on the middle line. Now you need to ensure that the head is centered. Move the anchor point accordingly and ensure that the proportions of the entire image are maintained during the adjustment.

To use the original photo format, go to the option "Use Aspect Ratio". This function ensures that the original proportions of the image are preserved. Otherwise, you can change the selection, but that will lead to a distorted crop – something to avoid. I pull my selection again and position it, so David's head is centered in the image.

An additional aspect I want to consider is the visibility of the beautiful tree I have in the background. To avoid cropping this, I move the entire image down. A small tip: Use either the mouse to click directly on the image and move it, or use the arrow keys on your keyboard to make precise adjustments.

There is also the option to scale from the center. Hold down the ALT and SHIFT keys simultaneously while adjusting the size to use the anchor point in the center. This keeps you centered in the image and ensures that the subject remains evenly proportioned. I enlarge the selection until the tree is fully visible in the image and make sure that David's head does not touch the lines of the grid display but is truly centered.

When the crop looks how you envision it, confirm your selection by pressing the Enter key or clicking the confirmation icon. Now you have defined a new crop. Perhaps you will notice some elements that are missing or that you want to adjust, but there are solutions for that in the next step.

It is important that you have already set your main crop. We will make the next corrections directly in the following steps to further refine the image.

Summary – Redefining the Crop with Photoshop Elements

Adjusting the crop in Photoshop Elements is a simple yet crucial step in image editing. You can quickly and effectively make corrections with the cropping tool and significantly improve the image composition. Be sure to maintain the proportions of the original and optimally place your subjects.