Eliminate unimportant details by cropping.

Cropping involves removing unwanted details by cutting off part of the top, bottom or sides of the photo, and having it still retain a rectangular or square shape.

Emphasize important details and introduce an interesting visual shape to your document by silhouetting a photo.

Silhouetting eliminates unimportant background details and reshapes the remaining portion of the photograph.

Partial silhouetting can be very effective. For example, a hand can extend beyond the boundaries of an otherwise square or rectangular photograph.

Silhouetting the bow of this white-water raft creates a sense of motion-of escape from the confines of its space on the page.

Many software programs let you modify scanned photographic images on your computer screen. You can lighten shadowed areas or tone down distracting highlights.

You can also use these sophisticated tools to airbrush, or "paint out," distracting details, like eliminating a fire hydrant in front of the boss's new Porsche or removing unduly prominent lettering above a subject.

Often portions of two or more photograph can be "cut and pasted" together.

Airbrushing and cut-and-paste tools, of course, must be used with discretion and restraint, avoiding the temptation to misinform or mislead readers.

When several photographs are used together, establish a hierarchy of importance that determines the size and placement of each photo on the page.

Smaller photographs can provide contrast and supporting the message of the primary photograph.

When no single photograph is more important than the others arrange them in a repeating sequence.

This sequence can be organized vertically...

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