# Framing the shot for standard sized prints?



## Ozarker (Oct 16, 2015)

I am, admittedly, quite the amateur and trying to learn. Here's my question or problem: Do you professionals just know from experience how to frame the shot with proper composition so that you can print the resulting photo in the standard sizes? 

By standard I mean 4x6, 8x10, 11x14, etc. Once I have done my cropping I rarely never come out with anything of any standard sized print.

I guess it only matters if one wants to print the photo, but I want to develop the right habits.

Thank you.


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## chauncey (Oct 17, 2015)

Aah...a new kid among us...I never take any shot without making a print in the back of my mind.
That said, I'm an avid PS user and never crop until I'm ready to print because if ya crop, you've 
lost part of that image that might be needed for cloning or whatnot.
Additionally, I always take more than one image with the expectation of photomerging for a larger print.


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## ajfotofilmagem (Oct 17, 2015)

I'm used to print paper 8x10 inches, then always try to leave a margin on the left and right of the image. In this sense, the cameras with 100% coverage viewfinder, sometimes deceive me. ???

It's annoying when I go crop the pictures in computer, and I find that not left a sufficient margin to one proportion rectangle.


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## tarntyke (Oct 17, 2015)

Which software are you using for the crop? Some do not automatically restrict you to standard ratios e.g. 3:2, 6:4. I usually choose original ratio, which guarantees 3:2. Even if you choose this then trying to print a standard print in a different ratio e.g. 8:10 the software will change your careful framing.


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Oct 17, 2015)

There are a couple of approaches, but I merely leave room for cropping. I doubt if I see a issue for many pages.

The sensor is 3:2, so for 4 X 6 you do not need to do anything. For 8 X 10, just leave space on the long dimensions. 

Its rare that a subject fits perfectly in a 8 X 10 frame anyway, so if you want a image cropped perfectly, its often better to use a larger frame and cut a mat to the right proportions

The newer high end Camera models all you to display a 3 X 3 or 6 X 4 grid in the viewfinder which might help with the cropping. 

You can purchase screens with the various ratios etched that work with 1 Series bodies. It used to be that they could be made for other bodies by third parties, but I'm not sure if that's the case any longer.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/402213-REG/Canon_0055T168_EC_1D_Crop_Lines_Focusing.html/prm/alsVwDtl


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## MrFotoFool (Oct 28, 2015)

I have worked at a photo lab for over two decades and this is a very common problem. The issue is that there is no standard print shape. Many of the common frame sizes have a different aspect ratio so they all crop differently. Take for example the four most common smaller frames (in the USA at least, using inches). They are 4x6, 5x7, 8x10, 11x14. Each one of those will crop differently. As already stated, the only one that fits most SLR sensors is 4x6, which is the shape of a 35mm film negative. Big prints vary as well, you can get 20x30 or 24x30 as standard sizes and obviously those are different. As someone already suggested, it is best to leave at least a little "breathing room" around your image to accommodate various crops and when you are ready to make a print, crop it specifically for that size (but keep your uncropped master file for future use).


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## FTb-n (Oct 28, 2015)

My biggest mistake is filling the frame with my subject and composing unnecessary content out of the image area. But, wait, isn't this what you're supposed to do?

It is really tempting to compose the perfect image in camera, but I've been burned too many times when I later tried cropping the image for an 8x10. I shoot a lot of people shots for my kid's school, including group shots and I must consciously remind myself to zoom out and leave some room to crop in post for the 4x5 perspective with 8x10 prints. Especially with team and group shops, the last thing that I want to do is crop out people to make the image fit the print.

When shooting sports, one doesn't always have the luxury of in-camera composition. Shooting sports typically means single-point focusing where you pick the player to focus on. With practice, you may be able to anticipate the direction of play and move the focus point off to the desired side. But, this is easier with the "pro bodies" that have more focus points to work with. Sometimes it's better to leave it in the center (which is often the best point for 2.8 lenses) and worry about composition later.

With 18+ mega-pixel bodies, I tend to keep the camera horizontal and mentally imagine a floating 8x10 frame around my subject. Ok, this really means that I zoom close on a given player, but not too close. I often struggle with the dilemma of zooming tight to capture the drama in the player's face or staying wide emphasize the player's athleticism. With FF bodies, I can often stay wide enough for full body shots and still have pixel real estate to crop tight on a face if the expression is there.

It can be very tempting to go vertical on a player, but all too often the action changes at a pivotal moment and body parts fly out of the frame. This can ruin the shot. I would rather stay horizontal, which often lends itself for vertical cropping to highlight a single player.

One last reason to stay horizontal for sports is when posting images on the web. Horizontal images that can fill a monitor are more appealing than vertical images that leave lots of black on the screen.


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## Ozarker (Oct 28, 2015)

Thanks guys for all the good advice. I'll just have to be sure and take the time to watch what I am doing. Practice makes perfect.


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## wsmith96 (Nov 1, 2015)

+1 on the good advice.


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## dak723 (Nov 1, 2015)

My camera is 2:3. Therefore MY standard sizes are 4" x 6", 6.66" x 10", 8" x 12", 10" x 15' etc. Yes, this means you may have to mat them yourself (or get custom made mats) to fit standard size frames. Occasionally, I will crop a portrait orientation to 4:3 and use that ratio as my standard.

I print them myself, so that is an advantage, but I would think that a photo shop will print to the standard long dimension and either trim to your non-standard width, or leave a white strip. To fit the standard 11" x 14" frame, I print to the standard 10" length, but my width is only 6.66" for a 2:3 and 7.5" for a 4:3. I will use a non-standard mat but fit it into a standard frame.


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## MrFotoFool (Nov 6, 2015)

dak723 said:


> My camera is 2:3. Therefore MY standard sizes are 4" x 6", 6.66" x 10", 8" x 12", 10" x 15' etc. Yes, this means you may have to mat them yourself (or get custom made mats) to fit standard size frames. Occasionally, I will crop a portrait orientation to 4:3 and use that ratio as my standard.
> 
> I print them myself, so that is an advantage, but *I would think that a photo shop will print to the standard long dimension and either trim to your non-standard width, or leave a white strip*. To fit the standard 11" x 14" frame, I print to the standard 10" length, but my width is only 6.66" for a 2:3 and 7.5" for a 4:3. I will use a non-standard mat but fit it into a standard frame.



Yes that is exactly what we do at our lab. Our ordering software (available online or in store) will crop the photo to fit the given print size (so you see on screen exactly how it crops, which you can adjust). However, there is a no crop button that just shrinks the entire image onto the print size and leaves a white border on two sides.


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