haze99 Loc: Elizabethton TN

I have noticed that when my pictures are converted to print that it is automatically cropped and usually not for the better. I saw an artical on croping your photos for a full frame sensor and how to have extra space in your pictures so as to compensate for cropping but what is the rule of thumb for cropping pictures on a croped sensor? (I have a Nikon 7000D). Thanks. :-)

ebaribeault Loc: Baltimore

This is what I do. Make a new folder mine is titled print. Then I copy not move the photo(s)to this folder. I then crop the photo to the size of the print desired and print. I then delete the photo from the print folder. This frees up disc space and your original is preserved. Sounds like alot but it is really easy

haze99 Loc: Elizabethton TN

Do you leave extra room when taking a picture with the idea of cropping in mind? Thanks for your reply.
The tricky thing for me is that at this point all I give to my clients is a digital copy of the photos which means I have no idea at what size they will be printing them so should I always allow extra space in my pictures?

ebaribeault Loc: Baltimore

The digital photos that I provide are not croped simply because I dont know what size prints that would be desired at a future time. The only time that I leave some extra space is with group shots and then it is a judgement call as to how much space

notnoBuddha

To me the problem [?] is that the ratio that a camera records a photo is not always or ever the same ratio as a printed picture. For example a 4 by 6 will print different than a 5 by 7. I always crop the picture to the dimesion that it will be printed either with Elements or in a preview option that is avaiable in many online printers such as Shutterfly, to see what the finished photo will look like. Often in such programs you are able to move the frame around the picture to your taste.

rpavich Loc: West Virginia

I use lightroom and since the original is never actually altered, the "crops" can be exported according to ratio and not size...i.e. 4x5 or 8x10 are the same thing.

It's really not a "finished product" until it's cropped because the crop is a part of the final product and your original intent in your composition....right?

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

I never crop for print size, only for effect. When I take an image to be printed I crop at the processors to the print size I am ordering. I rarely print anything but 11x14 and 16x20. I do occasionally use 8x10's but I always have them printed at the full 8x12 image size and crop to what I want it to be at home with the paper cutter. My processor charges the same for 8x12 as an 8x10, most do.

Philipschmitten Loc: Texas

i agree..always leave a bit of room for cropping the final print.

Lucian Loc: From Wales, living in Ohio

Just so that you and others possibly, understand the system here, your photos have not been penalized by cropping just because you have a digital camera or because you have a full frame camera. No, we as photographers have ALWAYS been cheated by the paper makers who manufacture printing stock for photography.

I did not matter whether you owned a film camera, be it 35mm or 2 1/4 square like a hasselblad, or what ever it was in film days, or a digital camera today, either full sensor or any of the cropped sensors, nobody makes paper that fits the full image being recorded.

I can't remember the reason for this, however, I was once offered an explanation for it. I do recall that I didn't think it made sense, at the time, nor does it make sense now though, as stated I still can't recall why.

It seems idiotic that in all these years that no one, not even Kodak, (remember that company?) who made cameras, film AND paper products, never got together with themselves even, and created a system that complemented everything.

You would think that with the advent of digital photography they might have decided to build sensors that actually fitted the paper being made to print the images, but no, it still does not fit. Having said that, there have been inroads, now they are actually making 8x12 papers and even 8x12 frames, what a revelation!

So in a nut shell, you must always crop in your minds eye when looking through your camera before you make that final composition and push the button, or you may have trouble fitting everything you wish, into your final printed form. There are some paper sizes that will give you the full image as you shot it, such as the 4x6 or any derivative of that same ratio in larger sizes.

Keep in mind when shooting to always leave a little space around the edges of your frame in the camera for the inevitable cropping factor that will occur when you go from computer screen to final print. Or, search out printers and frame makers offering you the sizes that will allow you to utilize your entire image, there are some who offer that too.

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

I think if many of you complaining about print sizing would think back a lot longer you would understand this conflict a little better. The paper industry was never the one that forced the film industry to conform or do without. The film industry was the one that would not "Standardize" anything when it came to film formats so that the paper industry could standardize its products to it. The film availability never quit changing. But Large Format cameras, which were the standard 100 years ago came in "familiar" sizes, 4x5, 8x10, 11x14.....sound familiar??? The film industry got non-standard with the advent of "portable" cameras and formats changed drastically; 6x9, 6x8, 6x7, 6x6, 6x4.5, 6x3, 102, 127, 620, 110, 126, 35mm, 75mm, APS, etc...
So, at what period of time was the paper industry supposed to accept a standard other than what the film industry originally established? The unending changes in film only served to affirm the paper industry's belief that a standard film format was not to be established so they just stuck with the standards they began with and let the film manufacturers play their game to consumers as to which format was best for which kind of photography. Ever wonder why we have 400 different tire sizes for our cars? Ten years after you buy a car you cannot get your tire size anymore so you are searching for a "close match" or you get a new car.
OK, time for coffee now.

And one note to Lucian,
8x12 prints are nothing new, I have been having my 35mm film printed at 8x12 since the 70's, you just couldn't get it done at Fotomart or Walmart or other quickie joints, you had to use a proper processor, they would also run any size you wanted at full frame sizing, but if you wanted it framed you usually had to either do it yourself or take it to a custom framer.

Coker Loc: Havana, IL

I hope this helps. When photographing, I always keep in mind the 'crop' factor. Really, all I do is leave a little room for subsequent cropping. If you are not careful when taking the picture, you might find you have a prize winning photo you or your clients might want enlarged. Here is what happens when we crop too close with the camera and they want an enlargement. ~ Smile

haze99 Loc: Elizabethton TN

It makes framing a bit more challenging. It's good to know this information. let me ask though please. Which standard size of cropping is best if what you give to your client is a digital copy, not knowing exactly what size print their going to be using? Or should you crop it at all in such a case?

rpavich Loc: West Virginia

On top of this question can I ask another one?

In the print days you'd give the client the "print" which was the "finished product."

It was the culmination of your effort in lighting, exposure, vision and artistic sense INCLUDING where and how to crop...

But now...if you don't give them a "finished cropped photo" aren't you just giving them the "negative" essentially?

That's baffling me....

PS: I'm no pro and don't have nor have ever had clients.

thefunxtr Loc: Atlanta

One other thing to keep in mind is that if you buy "off the shelf" frames, the opening (visible area) usually is not actually the "expected" size. For example if you select an 8x10 and get out your tape measure, the opening might actually be 7-1/2x9-1/2, so you would really need to "over-crop" a little bit to display all of the area that you want to be visible.

profpb Loc: Venice, Florida

Thank you MT; you are my mentor (idol). I love your historical and simple responses.