Today I thought I would share some helpful info with you when it comes to printing your images and/or how your final printed images from the studio will look when you receive them. Many times I am asked why an 8x10 print doesn't look just like the one that you previewed here at the studio during your view & order appointment and so I thought I would take a little time today to explain Aspect Ratio to you the best way that I know how. I am truly a visual learner {creative} and if you were to ask my family they would laugh & tell you that I am not a math person at all (as in I don't figure up numbers in my head) I have to see it visually for me to get it. However, in the world of photography you use math all the time and I totally understand how it all works, but explaining it is a totally different thing, so I am going to give it a shot and best of all I have photos to SHOW you (lol) so that if you are like me, you can totally get it too.
First of all let's define what Aspect Ratio is? Aspect ratio is the relationship of an image's width to height, or its proportions.
I shoot with a canon 5D Mark II and my hubby shoots with a canon 50D and both of these camera's have a aspect ratio of 3:2. Which means that the image is a rectangular shape and if printed on a standard 4x6 nothing gets cropped, it comes out just as we photographed it. However, when you want to print a bigger size, something has to give. In fact, I never just print 4x6's here at the studio as most of our clients want large prints for the walls, prints for framed gifts and of course custom canvas designs. So we do all sorts of shapes and sizes here, which is why I felt like sharing a little more with you as to what actually takes place when we go to these larger wall prints, etc.
You see Aspect Ratio is really all about the relationship of one side of the image compared to the other side, it's not at all about the measurement of the image. The camera's that we use here at the studio have an aspect ratio of 3:2 so let's multiply and see how it works out... Since my aspect ratio is 3:2 we are going to multiply by 2. 3x2 = 6 and 2x2 = 4 which would equal 6:4 ratio giving us a print printed as a standard 4x6 and nothing is being cropped off the image. However, many of our clients want to print an image as a 8x10 so let's see how this works out. We'll take 4x2 = 8 and 6x2 = 12 which would equal a 8:12 ratio giving us a print printed as an 8x12; that means that when you print that image as an 8x10 you are actually loosing 2 inches of your image. Woweee that's when we wonder where did my image go? That doesn't look like my preview image?
As a professional I really do try to take this into account when shooting and to allow extra room in my shot for cropping, but I also like tight shots or to capture the moment with close ups. So sometimes the image that is selected to print as a certain size will have to be cropped. That's when your trust in me as your photographer comes in quite handy. You see I always check and double check all the images that we produce here at the studio before we submit them to our lab for printing. I always print the image that best displays the emotion of the moment and showcases the beauty of you and your family. That's what I do best and I have to say that so far in the years that we have been in business, everyone is always thrilled with their final prints. I just wanted to help answer the question as to why your final image may look a little different in a particular printed size than it did in the preview room and you can always thank that little thing called Aspect Ratio. Plus... this info is helpful if you have purchased your high resolution images from the studio and are having them printed elsewhere and you get them back cropped, you will totally understand why that is happening now.
Ok hopefully you go it! but if not... here are some quick visuals for you to soak it all in and to see how the aspect ratio does indeed effect an image
Hope this helps my friends.
Love & Laughter -
Deanna
Specialty Photography liked this on Facebook.
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