Cropping is Not fun ;)

While I am working out some new business kinks, I thought I would touch on a subject that I get a lot of questions about: CROPPING. Many of you ask why I don’t provide 8×10 enlargements, only 8×12. Well, I’ve recently started doing 8x10s… and now the question is, “Why do they look like crap?”

So I am going to give a little math lesson, so hold on to your seat. When shooting with our handy-dandy, fancy-shmancy cameras, we are shooting at a 2:3 ratio. That means for every 2 inches you go one way you must go 3 the other. This gives you a 4×6 photo which, when enlarged, results in 8×12, 10×15, and so on. Now 4×6 frames are easy to find, but 8×12? HA – Good luck! And, as much as I say you should mat your photos, I do understand that not everyone likes that look. This is possibly way more annoying for me than any of you – mainly because I shoot like a photo-journalist: chasing around after people and even filling the frame with beautiful faces.

So here are some examples to give you choices because choices make the world a better place.

This is the very beautiful Sydney acting as my example.

This is a full 2:3 ratio image. Notice her pretty long hair and cute green shirt – very nice. If getting an 8×12, as seen here, you would want to buy an 11×16 frame and have the photo matted.

Or you could get an 8×10 (below). Look at her arm: it’s all cut off. And the cute green shirt is almost gone, and the drama of her pretty long hair is lost. Now you could see how this could be okay with some photos – but not all.

Or you could do a white border with a simple black line, as seen here.

And here is a cool border – just for fun!

I hope this was helpful to everyone reading and makes things a little clearer.

Have a happy Monday.