cropping and framing

[mokenny]

These are two photos of a boy playing soccer in an alley, with the door post cropped out in the first one but not in the second. Which of the two is preferable.

Thanks
MOK

[GrahamBy]

They tell different stories. Which one do you want to tell?

[Diego Pigozzo]

As GrahamBy write, they tell two different stories (at least for me).

The uncropped version seems more joyful to me because it conveys the feeling of the photographer watching the boy playing and, therefore, it implies that the boy isn't play "in a void".

The cropped version is more disquieting because give the sense of this boy playing alone and makes me ask if this boys play alone often, if he has friends to play with and so on.
The low key of the cropped version, too, doesn't help the lift the mood (while in the uncropped version the archway's frame lights up the key).

[Rob C]

Like the first one, the vertical, Mo.

Looks dramatic, makes you wonder about the where, when and why which serenity never does.

Cool.

Rob C

[stamper]

Definitely the first. The focal point is the boy and you are directly drawn in to him instead of the eye wandering around for a second or two. Nice image. Number two has it's merits but isn't as good when it is displayed alongside number1

[Rob C]

Told you stamper had a good eye!

Rob C

[Otto Phocus]

The second picture gives me a "dutch" angle impression.

But I agree with the other posters, the two crops indicate two different stories/moods of the same scene.

This pair is a good example of how a simple crop can significantly change the composition and impressions of a photograph.