Cropping question

[yetishot]

When you guys crop a picture for final editing and possible printing are you using a standard crop? (5*7, 8*10 etc). I havent printed alot of stuff but I mostly use free crop and then I have to recrop for printing if I go that route. Should I be cropping for possible printing on all my keepers?

[mjs1973]

I say crop to what works best for the image. I have a vertical pano that I created that I print at something like 36x15.75. I have it printed on 36x24 paper and trim off the excess. I don't feel the need to stick to the standard sizes for printing. That being said, most of my prints are done at standard sizes because I try to do my cropping "in camera".

I find the exception to this rule is when doing portraits. I try to remember to leave extra space around the subject for cropping later because most people are going to order a 5x7 or an 8x10. If you have shoot too tight, and they want an 8x10, something is going to get lost.

[OldClicker]

I keep what I want and get rid of what I don't with no thought to format. I have had 'old timers' notice this yet they always say it doesn't matter when questioned. I get the impression that they certainly notice it, but cannot figure out if it has a negative impact. - TF

[PWhite214]

Crop for the subject you want people to see. If you decide to print later, go back to the original and crop/resize to make the print the best.

Phil

[freygr]

When you guys crop a picture for final editing and possible printing are you using a standard crop? (5*7, 8*10 etc). I havent printed alot of stuff but I mostly use free crop and then I have to recrop for printing if I go that route. Should I be cropping for possible printing on all my keepers?

The standard sizes for printing are 4 x 5, 4 x 6, 5 x 7, 8 by 10, and 11 x 14. I stopped at 11 x 14 size but just look at any art supply store under precut mats and you will see the sizes. As I print, cut mats, and make frames I don't have go by any standard size. 4 x 5, 5 x 7, 8 x 10, and 11 x 14 happen to be cut film sizes and the contact prints were the standard for a long time so that is how the standard print sizes came about.

I would use photoshop to crop. 1 - load the image and turn on the rulers. 2 - from the ruler information adjust the DPI making sure the resample box is not checked. 3 - Create a new image file with the DPI from step 2 at the standard size. 4 - select all the original image copy and paste into the new image file. 5 - use the move tool the adjust the crop. 6 - save the PSD file or flaten the file to your favorite file format.

[gryphonslair99]

I base my crop on two criteria, the photo and the end user. Certain shots don't fit the norm, such as a panorama. That I crop for the shot. I usually frame it as well.

Things like portraits I usually crop for the end user, be it me, or someone else. That usually means one of the standard print sizes and unless it is for me, I let whom ever frame it. Using standard sizes makes it easier for the end user to frame up if it is in a standard size.

[WesternGuy]

I find that more and more, I am cropping to fit an image size ( 5x7, 8x10, etc.), but I always save the uncropped original, so that if I need to go back and get a different crop, I can still do that. I crop to an image size, because usually that is where I am going to a 5x7, etc. frameable print. I just got too frustrated doing "free" crops and then finding that, when I went to print a specific size , the print was cropped by the printing process to fit the paper and image size I needed for framing and teh results were not always as favourable as I wanted them to be. By cropping to fit a given print size initially, I feel that I have more control over the final image and what I want, or don't want, in it. HTH. :thumbsup:

WesternGuy

[GB1]

First, always keep the original for latest additional crops for different sized prints.

I tend to do basic editing, but with no sharpening, and save it at full size and name it the original name + "_Edit1" with a small amt of compression, say 3%, so that it isn't as big. Then I make different crops and sizes from that.

[CaraRose]

Lightroom is nice that it does the job of saving the original for you. And you can make virtual copies to try out several versions. I usually crop to a print size, but unless I'm planning to actually print in a specific size, I just use whichever one works best to emphasize my subject.