Cropping

Starting to get a collection of half decent shots (in my eyes anyway) but looking at them they all seem to be different sizes.
Is there a standard set of measurements I should be aiming for when cropping a photo?

Thanks.

The worst thing the education system ever did, (to our society) was tell everybody to color within the lines.

You may want to buy a decent paper cutter.

Are you matting and/or framing the photos?
Are you comfortable cutting your own mats and making your own frames? (or ordering special sizes at a premium price?)

If that doesn't bother you, or if you actually find that part of the fun, then there are no "standard" sizes. In fact many of the best looking framed prints Ive seen do not fit the standard mold. (maybe that is part of why??)

Here they are generally something like 4x6, 5x7, 8x10, etc...
I look of framing stores to see what popular sizes are, if I need to print something larger.
e.g. I can get a cheap, yet decent looking, standard 18x24 frame for $15.
Custom built may run three- four times that or more for the parts... and maybe more for labor.


If you're putting on a web page, well, then whatever fits. A 1000-1200 pixel wide screen is still pretty standard. So, I would keep those margins in mind. Nobody wants to scroll around super large images... in general.

There are some "golden ratios" that are popular, but you can crop more inteligently. Does it matter if all your shots are different sizes if they each look good on their own?

Personally I crop to remove uninteresting or distracting portions and/or to emphasise or enlargen the central subject. I would only consider making all the pictures of a set the same size & shape if I was trying to make a whole work of art with them and wanted that uniformity.

There may be an option with your cropping tool to maintain photo proportions should you wish to keep it to 2:3 which is what a Pentax produces. Otherwise go for what you like unless you are framing them with standard sized frames.

Im not printing or anything like that, just that when I look at my Flickr page the sizes are all over the place.
Probably as Don says, I just have to get out of that uniformity mindset.

Thanks all.

personally I try and stick with the 3:2 crop, usually do this first in ACR

simon

Assuming you are using Ps or any of of its variants, you could, after selecting the crop tool, use the drop down box to select any number of ratios and then resize to the longest side. Better still get the composition right when you take the shot

Ken

I love 1:1 crops.
Hence why the majority of my shots are that, infact, i now compose in camera for 1:1.