Managing D70 image size vs. print size

[michaelborger]

Starting a workflow. All my Nikon D70 images are JPG at 3000x2008

pixels. However, now that I have them online and people want to buy

them, I'm having trouble converting some of them to common printable

sizes like 8x10 or 11x14. The way I see it, my options are limited

to this:

 

1. Crop to one size and that's the size available. Or to a size

from which multiple sizes are available.

** PROBLEM: Some of my images fill the complete width in landscape,

so cropping doesn't help.

 

2. Use Image Size to force the image to a certain size.

*** PROBLEM: Doing this distorts the image. Tolerable to a degree,

depending on the image

 

3. Increase the canvas size in one direction and fill in the space

with a solid color.

*** PROBLEM: This only works for images where the background is

relatively solid or the filled in extra space creates a seamless

transition with the original image. It also makes the image

too 'weighted' toward the new extra space.

 

Here is an example. Two pink lotus candles against a black

background. There's not much room to crop horizontally and a fixed

marquee at 8x10 chops off the candles. Some photos in my gallery

aren't fortunate enough to have a solid black background to play

with, so the problem is even worse.

 

http://mikeseyes.smugmug.com/gallery/567714/2/23674500 (two candles)

http://mikeseyes.smugmug.com/gallery/567836/1/23679158 (waterfall;

2nd row, first photo)

 

Are there any other options? If not, does this mean that when I take

photos that I want to print at 8x10, for example, I can't be filling

the whole viewfinder with my subject b/c I'll have this issue every

time? I'm quite dismayed/frustrated.

 

I know this is something many people have handled, so any advice is

appreciated.

[marshall]

If you've shot a 3:2 photo that works as a 3:2 photo, print it that way. There are plenty of places that will output the print at 8x12, 10x15, 12x18, etc. These formats will match your photo, instead of trying to match your photo to a paper size. Many places now sell mattes pre-cut to that size, or you can have them cut to fit. Personally, I think the photo should determine the frame, rather than the other way 'round...

[byronlawrence]

use the crop tool in PS .. at the top enter your dimensions and select 300 PPI and resample using bicubic. as long as you are within your stated 8x10 to 11x14 size range the results should be fine. when you do this the aspect ratio of the crop box selection will show you what you get (no distortion).

 

in those images that fill the landscape dimension, you will have to loose some. make a judgement. or distort the picture a bit.

 

I assume you know all the previously stated though, by reading the question. so I will tell you what I do.

 

to solve the issue stated about cutting off what you want to keep, I usually just print at the aspect ratio of the desire photo and let the paper take the hit, meaning don't fill the entire 8x10 frame during the printing, make it 7 or 6 x 10 if you want it taller make the image taller and print on bigger paper. this will mean of course custom mat sizes but hey if you really want good results it will be worth the work.

 

If you want to see the kind of picture I made this compromise with in the past, my portfolio (here on PN) has a daisies picture that I couldn't crop satifactorily, so I kept it the way it was.

[byronlawrence]

Like what Marshall says

[robert_martin5]

Your Nikon D70 uses the same format as standard 35mm, which is 1.5 to 1 in length to width ratio 3000/2000 (approximately). If you want to print the full frame, you need to print sizes that have the same length to width ratio, like 8 x 12 instead of 8 x 10. If you want to print a different length to width ration than the image from the camera, you need to plan that when you take the picture. An 8 x 10 printed from the D70 image requires you to crop off part of the length (the 3000 pixel direction). Print length to with ratios vary - 8x10 is 1.25, 8x12 is 1.5, 11x14 is 1.27, 13x19 is 1.46, 16x20 is 1.25, 20x24 is 1.2, 20x30 is 1.5, 30x40 is 1.33. Most of these will require you to crop the D70 image.

[frank_skomial]

Just sell them your original quality JPG files. You will never know how people want to print them.

[sjmurray]

I'm just agreeing with the others. I have a D70 and typically upsize the images to 8x12. Then place a 10x13 canvas around it in PS. My printing lab has 10x13 paper so this works out great. You get some white border around the image. I mount the prints on foamcore with 3M PMA (positional mounting adhesive) and cut a mat to match. I've also upsized to 9x13.5 (approximately). These get a 10x15 canvas and are printed on 10x15 paper. If you crop then your dimensions change, obviously. I just give the final image a canvas that matches the printer's paper dimensions, which are like 8x10, 10x13, 10x15, 11x14 etc. Make you image smaller than the paper size so there's a border.

[michaelborger]

Why do you make your image size smaller than the paper so there's a border? The way I view the final product, the mat is the border. I think it would look odd to have, going inside out, the image, then white space, then mat, then frame. The white space + mat seems like it would look strange to me. Better, I guess, to just do some custom framing. I'll pick up a tool.