How do you crop photos for online ordering??

The question came up in my previous post, and David Schilling thought it would

make a good new thread, so here we go.

 

How do you crop photos for online ordering?? Without giving the online images

so much "negative space" for any size that you lose perspective on what the

photo actually could look like. To me, I "attempt" to take pictures knowing

what the other sizes I need could be (especially 8x10, which is the toughest).

 

I've read the discussions about framing "in camera" to preclude so much post

processing, but doesn't this limit the availability for different sizes online??

 

For example. Although my camera (Fuji S3) takes images in basically a 4 x 6

format, I try to take my shots on the premise that I'm going to crop them to a

4 x 5.

 

I'll usually put them online at the 4x5 aspect ratio, knowing that a little

room needs to be left in my crop for say a 5 x 7 ratio. I feel I've covered

most of the ordered sizes (4x5, 5x7, 8x10, 11x14, 16x20).

 

Am I going about this all wrong? Is there a better way to do this? The only

image I don't offer this way is basically anything close to the 4x6 format.

 

Hope the question makes sense....

 

Other techniques would be greatly appreciated.

 

Regards,

 

Jim Hall

Let the image determine how you crop, not the limited choice of aspect ratios provided by your online labs.

 

I use labs that print in the aspect ratio I want. DSLRs and 35mm film are 3:2 (or 6:4 or 1.5:1) aspect ratio. Costco, mpix.com, and my pro lab will print 8x12 and 12x18. I usually get 12x18's from Costco for $2.99 each.

 

I will sometimes crop to a square but then I add a black border on two sides to make the image 3:2 again to prevent the lab from doing any cropping. Works fine for me.

For showing my proofs on the web, one requirement I try to always maintain is that the final images, regardless of size all look basically the same. To achieve this, I try to crop to the 8x10 or 4x5 ratio. Then I let people know that if they order a different size, the shorter sides of the image will be cropped in more to make the image narrower as needed. If an image cannot be cropped to an 8x10 format, or, if it looks much better at a custom crop, I let the customer know that I can provide a mat for the image so that it can fit in a standard size frame, or I can provide a custom frame for the image. This will incur a small additional charge.

 

George

You, the photographer, are expecting the 'customer,' who knows little of what makes a crop work with a image, to understand how a enlarged image is going to turn out. Good luck!

 

 

 

If you have to crop in the camera for three sizes with each pose, you will need a lot of time to shoot a wedding. That must be the 'joy' of using a on-line ordering service to get your work done and to your customers.

Thanks to all for your input & responses. As I presumed, the techniques are varied and many. David, a great idea on the black frame. Any more thoughts on this?

I am always wondering the best solution. The only one I have found is to shoot with an 8x10 in mind as this is the biggest seller. My online ordering company or most any will center crop any other size and shave off some of the sides. I get in trouble when I don't frame it well but I don't waste my time and crop all the images and then have folks not order them, waste of time and money so I post everything at 4x6 size and crop on the back end if needed.

I use my online ordering company for a few reasons, but this being a big one. I still have my local lab do the printing, and I still send it to them. So, I post a 4X6 crop. If they order an 8X10, I go back the the original image and do my own crop and send it to my lab myself. That way I have control of where the crop goes. Also, I shoot in mind of an 8X10 crop on all formals. On candid and pj stuff, I just shoot what I see.