Quick tip for cropping photographs

One of the best pieces of advice I've been given for cropping photographs of animals that are on the move, is to not crop them too tightly. If they are moving from left to right for example, then leave some space to the right of the animal to show the viewer where it is heading.

If you crop photo's of moving animals too tightly within the frame, they almost seem as though they are similar to a bird trapped in a cage. Animals and wildlife especially, should be free to roam. Show this in your photographs composition as well for a much stronger image.

Cropping moving animals

Digital SLR Camera: Canon EOS 400D / Rebel XTi
DSLR Lens: Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM
Exposure: 0.001 sec (1/800)
Aperture: f/5.6
Focal Length: 300 mm
ISO Speed: 200
Exposure Program: manual

Why this crop works

Taking into consideration that this dog was moving from left to right, I left room on the right side of the photograph to show where the animal was heading. If I had cropped the image tighly at the tip of his tongue, it would have been like putting a brick wall in front of him. This would have made the picture seem off balance.