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update: 17 Nov. 2010
"Program Files"The Diagonal Method is sometimes built in as a croptool in photographic software. On this page you can see the details. Diagonal Method in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom (version 1.1. and higher) In Adobe Photoshop Lightroom there is the possibility to view the Diagonal Method Grid over your photographs. It is called "Diagonal". In this way it is easy to crop a photograph according to the Diagonal Method, for instance, when important details like eys are just slightly off the Diagonals, say 2 mm. The four Diagonals are adjusted to the size and format of the photograph and when you start cropping, the Diagonal lines are automatically adjusted to the new frame. To see this view:
fig. 1
Cropping
In some cases where the Diagonal is just one or two millimetres off, it is possible and advisable to crop a photograph. This cannot be done with photographs which need extensive cropping, because the whole composition would loose its coherence and power. But often one or two millimetres can be cropped without changing the overall compostion and in those cases the attention would go exactly through the centre of the detail that is needing attention.
  fig. fig. 2. Original photograph fig. 3. Cropped photograph
Above left we can see an other advertisement for Ebel watches. In the left photograph the Diagonal is not exactly crossing the centre of the pupil of the eye. I cut 2 mm off the right side of the photograph and the result is the photograph on the right. Other software: Adobe Photoshop CS2/3/4
There is a script written for Photoshop CS2 / CS3 / CS4 by Damian Sepczuk which is available at: www.goldencrop.sourceforge.net. You can copy this .jsx file to the Program Files of Photoshop in "Presets". Then open Photoshop, open a photograph and go to "file" > "automatic" > "Golden Crop". You can activate all the croptools which are also in Adobe Lightroom, and also at the same time. Adobe Photoshop Elements There is no croptool in Photoshop Elements using a specific matrix or method like the Rule of Thirds or the Diagonal Method. Gimp Gimp is free downloadable photo software. A script is written in March 2009, but this is not yet available in the current complete version 2.6.8. Possibly it will be implemented in the next complete version 2.8. In the 2.6.8. version there is a croptool with the Golden Section and the Rule of Thirds lines. Paint Shop Pro In Dec. 2009 a script is written for the Diagonal Method by someone in the Netherlands. When this becomes available, I will post it on this page and on the page "links". InkScape InkScape is free downloadable software. There is a DM script available at: http://inkscape-guides-creator.googlecode.com/files/guides-creator-2.31-ink0.46-dev04-11-2008.zip You need to unzip the two files into the map Program Files > InkScape > "Share" > "Etensions". The files are called: "guides-creator.py" and "guides-creator.inx", just like the old files, so you have to overrwrite them. To create the Diagonal lines on the screen: go to "Extensions" > "Guide lines" > "Generator" > "Diagonal Guides". It is also possible to activate just one Diagonal, two or three lines. Picasa There is no possibility of cropping manually. Picture Window Pro There is a script written for this software to use the DM as a croptool. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Please send information about new developments to: info@edwinwesthoff.nl |
