Cynthia specializes as a Family Photographers Toledo. She shoots on location lifestyle and storytelling photography and serves the Toledo, Sylvania, Maumee, Holland, Perrysburg, Oregon and Northwest Ohio areas. She is available for maternity, newborn, baby, children and family portraits and documentary photo sessions.
How Your Print Size Affects Your Photo Crop
You’ve had your family photo session and have fallen in love with all the images. Now you are ready to print them for gifts or to hang on your walls. But wait, when you upload them for printing, you realize so much of the image is missing. Why is this happening?
It’s simple. Different photo orientations don’t keep the original photo aspect ratio, usually 3:2. I may sound like I’m speaking gibberish so I’ll explain it a bit more. The aspect ratio is the width and height of a photograph. Different print sizes have different aspect ratios. Which is why sometimes you will get prints and parts of the photo will be chopped off.
What Size Should I Print?
The subject fills the frame in this image. Choosing a print size that has the same aspect ratio as the original keeps the photo the same as the original.
You may be asking yourself, what size should I print images to keep the original photo crop in tact? Obviously, this will depend on how you want to display your images, your frame sizes, and if your subject is filling your frame or you have more negative space around them.
Print sizes that keep the original aspect ratio – like 8×12, 12×18, 16×24, and 20×30 – are great options for large wall prints when you don’t have much space around your subject.
It’s important to keep in mind that traditional photo sizes like 5×7, 8×10 and 11×14 will cut off a portion of your images. Square crops like 4×4, 5×5, and 10×10 will do the same. If you would like to print images in these sizes, try to look for some that have more space around the subject to adjust for the loss of some of the image.
This image has a lot more space around the subject. This allows for more flexibility when selecting a print size.
Understanding different print sizes in relation to aspect ratio will help you next time you are printing your family memories.
Have more questions for Cynthia? Use the contact tab to send her an email.
