Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Chapter Sixteen Visual and Multimedia Storytelling 495 interest is at the thirds. You can eliminate distractions from the edges of the image, reduce its size, change its orientation and communicate or emphasize a topic. If the photo is clearly focused, cropping may allow you to zoom in on a detail, such as the expression on a subject’s face (Figure 16.11). Cutting Out Cutting Out The lasso or selection tools in Photoshop give photographers and designers the ability to cut away the background of an object or person in a photo (Figure 16.12 on the next page). This process requires incredible attention to detail, so designers zoom in on the computer screen to see small details when they use this tool. For this tool to work well, the edges of the image need to be clearly distinguishable from the background. If you expect to create a cutout from a photo, shoot the image on a contrasting, solid-colored background to make it easier to lasso. Lead Room Lead Room In a photograph that depicts motion, such as a sports photo, crop the photo to include what photographers call lead room, or open space in front of the subject. In a photograph of a running lacrosse player, leave room in front of the player for the player to “run.” Do not run her off the a. Original photo b. Cropped Figure 16.11 Cropping the original photo (a) eliminates the distractions and follows the rule of thirds, allowing the subject of the photograph to shine (b). Cropping tool