marker   normally   works   best   when   making   your cropping  marks  in  the  borders  of  photographs.  China markers allow you to make changes without difficulty and  mess. Aesthetics The aesthetics, or beauty, of the photograph should be improved by cropping. The rule of thirds (fig. 8-10) suggests that the center of interest be positioned roughly at one of the four intersections created by equally spaced horizontal  and  vertical  lines.  These  lines  divide  the photograph into horizontal and vertical thirds. When the subject is centered in the photograph, as is frequently done  by  amateur  photographers,  the  photograph  is  often static  and  boring. When you consider aesthetics, cropping should be based  on  the  movement  of  the  subject,  leading  lines, lines of force and other framing considerations that are explained in more detail in Chapter 12. Shapes The   shape   of   the   photograph   also   must   be considered  before  it  is  cropped.  Normally,  a  3:5 proportion is most pleasing to the eye. Proportions of 2:3, 3:4, 4:5, 4:7, and soon, are acceptable proportions. Simply cropping a photograph to make it square (3:3, for  example)  leaves  a  newspaper  page  dotted  with square blocks and results in an unattractive page. When  you  are  considering  the  shape  of  a photograph,  there  are  times  when  a  strong  vertical  or horizontal   will   improve   the   look   of   a   newspaper. Obvious  examples  where  extreme  horizontals  and Figure 8-10.—The rule of thirds. verticals  work  well  include  tall  buildings,  parades, travel photo features and many sporting events. Photo Within a Photo Careful  examination  of  a  print  may  allow  you  to extract two or more reproduction-quality photographs from a single print. There maybe two centers of interest or separate actions taking place that separately qualify as photographs. In a football game, an offensive lineman may be blocking the star defensive end, while a wide receiver catches a short pass across the middle of the playing   field.   Both   actions   could   be   stand-alone photographs. Cropping Methods To crop a picture, you must mark off the unessential parts.  This  can  be  done  by  cutting,  masking  or  using cropping L’s. CUTTING.— If the photograph or piece of artwork is  expendable  (you  have  several  originals  or  the negative), you can do your cropping with a paper cutter. This  is  the  most  accurate  method  and  the  one  most commonly used by ship and station newspaper editors. MASKING.—  When   a   section   of   a   valuable photograph  is  to  be  reproduced,  you  may  mask  it  by covering the picture face with a sheet of paper that has a window cut out to expose the desired area. CROPPING  L’s.—  Cropping  L’s  (fig.  8-11)  are useful tools when you are narrowing a photograph to its center of interest. Cropping L’s are L-shaped cardboard or plastic devices, often black in color, used to eliminate dead space. When you place them over a photograph in 8-12