100% Private100% PrivateImage Guide
Cropping is not just cutting off edges. It is choosing what the reader looks at first. A tight crop on a product, a face, or a detail will outperform a wide, busy photo on a blog header or a product listing.
Remove distractions first: background clutter, empty sky, and half-cut objects at the edge. Then put the subject slightly off-centre, not dead centre, unless it is a product shot that needs symmetry.
Use a fixed aspect ratio when the destination demands it: 1:1 for square thumbnails, 16:9 for wide headers, 4:3 for classic product shots. Free crop is for when you are still deciding.
Crop, then resize, then compress, in that order. Cropping after compression throws away quality you already paid for in file size.