This post is about getting Photoshop to help us crop our photos after these Composition/Proportion rules. There is two ways of doing this; one is using the built-in functionality, and the other extending Photoshop with a free Java script. You could argue why use a Java script when Photoshop does this out of the box, my answer is that the Java script does a better job.

You can read more on Composition at my blog entry.

Method 1. Java script

Proportion refers the size relationship of visual elements to each other and to the whole picture. One of the reasons proportion is often considered important in composition is that viewers respond to it emotionally. With this overlay Photoshop can automatically crop our photos. Its free and awesome!

Where to Install

Open the correct folder for the java plugins, mine is located at

“C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop CC 2014\Presets\Scripts”

Download and unzip the file from Golden Crop, and place the file “Golden Crop.jsx” in the folder above. Then restart your photoshop.

Menus

Now your Photoshop is able to overlay your photos with various Composition rules, and once you have adjusted the overlay, it offers to crop your photo or to create a cropping mask.

Method 2 Built-in

Photoshop’s cropping tool is able to show an overlay grid helping us cropping to a certain composition. Especially when it comes to Golden Spiral is the options more limited.