Cropping: Why are photos all cropped to some arbitrary XY dimension? I was in the Smithsonian and I do not recall the paintings all being the same arbitrary dimensions. What makes...

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

Why are photos all cropped to some arbitrary XY dimension?
I was in the Smithsonian and I do not recall the paintings all being the same arbitrary dimensions.
What makes photographers believe that they must live in arbitrarily determined sets of dimensions?
Should the image determine the XY dimensions?
Or are we going to jail if we don't follow certain XY dimensions in our creations?

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

I crop to the composition.

Off-the-shelf frames come in standard dimensions, so if I want a cheap frame for my photo I have to pad the image to fit the frame. I usually use a margin that matches the frame.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

So one doesn't have to get or make a custom frame or mat????

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

The Rules are both ancient and just.

MrBob Loc: lookout Mtn. NE Alabama

Good reason to get into mat cutting and DIY frames.... crop with a paper cutter or scissors.

tradio Loc: Oxford, Ohio

As mentioned, you have the standard sizes of cheap frames and you also have the ratio of computer monitors that most images will be displayed on.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

tradio wrote:

As mentioned, you have the standard sizes of cheap frames and you also have the ratio of computer monitors that most images will be displayed on.

A ton of monitor dimensions.....

Coupled with different browser window sizes people use.
Not something I'll be concerned with.

Nalu Loc: Southern Arizona

No rules. Crop for composition. Customize the framing and/or the mat.

Nalu Loc: Southern Arizona

No rules. Crop for composition. Customize the framing and/or the mat.

wdross Loc: Castle Rock, Colorado

Architect1776 wrote:

Why are photos all cropped to some arbitrary XY dimension?
I was in the Smithsonian and I do not recall the paintings all being the same arbitrary dimensions.
What makes photographers believe that they must live in arbitrarily determined sets of dimensions?
Should the image determine the XY dimensions?
Or are we going to jail if we don't follow certain XY dimensions in our creations?

There are paintings that were very wide, very tall, and some that were square. But if one looks at all the paintings in museums, castle tours, and very old houses and mansions, they tend to be slightly taller than wide (mostly for portraits). Basically, they are "8X10" in shape. Then photography came along. We "owe" our general "size" shapes to the painters of old.

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

wdross wrote:

There are paintings that were very wide, very tall, and some that were square. But if one looks at all the paintings in museums, castle tours, and very old houses and mansions, they tend to be slightly taller than wide (mostly for portraits). Basically, they are "8X10" in shape. Then photography came along. We "owe" our general "size" shapes to the painters of old.

The ones I looked at did not fit 8X10 format.
Additionally Masters paintings if anything followed the golden ratio which if memory serves is not 8X10.

User ID

Architect1776 wrote:

Why are photos all cropped to some arbitrary XY dimension?
I was in the Smithsonian and I do not recall the paintings all being the same arbitrary dimensions.
What makes photographers believe that they must live in arbitrarily determined sets of dimensions?
Should the image determine the XY dimensions?
Or are we going to jail if we don't follow certain XY dimensions in our creations?

Thaz how it is in your parallel universe ? Not happening where I am.

mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey

Architect1776 wrote:

Why are photos all cropped to some arbitrary XY dimension?

I was in the Smithsonian and I do not recall the paintings all being the same arbitrary dimensions.
What makes photographers believe that they must live in arbitrarily determined sets of dimensions?
Should the image determine the XY dimensions?
Or are we going to jail if we don't follow certain XY dimensions in our creations?

Standard image sizes are not arbitrary at all. They are very specific and very commonly used dimensions. Unconstrained image cropping would be arbitrary since they can be random or based on the whim of the photographer.

The simple answer is that custom sized images require custom sized frames and custom sized paper and must be printed on printers that can accommodate that custom size. In other words, standard dimensions are used for convenience. Of course, these days an overwhelming number of photos are displayed electronically rather than.on paper so creating an image of any preferred dimensions is easy. However, if you crop snd display your photographs on a fixed size electronic frame you're back to the original reason for the use of various standard image dimensions.

In the United States one of these cropping choices is 8.5x11 because that is the standard letter size paper here. But in countries using the metric system, they use A4 paper with slightly different dimensions, so they might use A4 dimensions when they crop an image.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Architect1776 wrote:

The ones I looked at did not fit 8X10 format.

I think maybe he meant a .8 ratio?

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

If you think rules stifle your creativity, you probably don't understand the rules.