On cropping, and what to leave out
When an image isn't working, the instinct is to add: a headline, a texture, another shape. Usually the better move is to crop.
Cropping forces a decision about what the picture is really about. Cut off the edge of a letter and it becomes a shape. Cut into a face and it becomes a feeling.
I try to crop with intent — to the rule of the grid, or against it on purpose — and never just to fit a box. If the crop could be anywhere, it isn't saying anything.