Problems with the CROP!!

[NateS]

So here's a problem that I have and it's kind of frusturating. I took some photo's of a guys truck last weekend (posted them here I think) and he came by last night to decide what he wanted printed.

PROBLEM!!! He wanted 8x10's and 11x14's of quite a few and it can't be done. I took the time with a tripod to frame each shot exactly how I wanted and now if I crop to an 8x10 or 11x14 it crops part of the truck out. This is the case on all the pictures but 2 or 3. All of his favorites wouldn't work in those sizes so he had to settle on a different one in that size.

So.....do you guys take pictures with your crop "looser" so you can crop to an 8x10 or 11x14 if needed? Isn't that kind of silly to have to snap a picture with the expectancy of cropping it essentially reducing your effective MP to lower than (my) lowly 6.1. The other problem is how do you tell in the camera what will fit into an 8x10 crop. I just find it frusturating to not be able to print in any of the largely common sizes straight from camera.

Another example is a giraffe picture I printed of mine for our son's room/nursery (jungle theme). I was unable to crop the photo for the same reason's as above so I printed it in a 16x24 instead of a 16x20. 3-4 months later the photo is still rolled up in the top of my closet because nobody has frames for 16x24 (checked walmart, kmart, even drove to the city and checked hobby lobby). So aside from forking out a bunch of money at a frame shop or ordering and paying a ton for shipping, I'm stuck.


Frusturating that you can't easily find frames in sizes that will allow a DSLR to print uncropped (i.e. 8x12, 16x24, etc...)

 

[Moglex]

So.....do you guys take pictures with your crop "looser" so you can crop to an 8x10 or 11x14 if needed? Isn't that kind of silly to have to snap a picture with the expectancy of cropping it essentially reducing your effective MP to lower than (my) lowly 6.1. The other problem is how do you tell in the camera what will fit into an 8x10 crop. I just find it frusturating to not be able to print in any of the largely common sizes straight from camera.

Well, framing looser won't really help, will it, if you believe the ideal composition has a different aspect ratio to the paper available?

Two things I did that I found gave me much greater freedom:

1) Decided that I was perfectly happy to cut the paper to get the composition I wanted.

2) Realised that photographs actually look a lot more classy if they have nice, wide, borders.

A combination of those two 'techniques' solved my aspect ratio problems,

Another example is a giraffe picture I printed of mine for our son's room/nursery (jungle theme). I was unable to crop the photo for the same reason's as above so I printed it in a 16x24 instead of a 16x20. 3-4 months later the photo is still rolled up in the top of my closet because nobody has frames for 16x24 (checked walmart, kmart, even drove to the city and checked hobby lobby). So aside from forking out a bunch of money at a frame shop or ordering and paying a ton for shipping, I'm stuck.


Frusturating that you can't easily find frames in sizes that will allow a DSLR to print uncropped (i.e. 8x12, 16x24, etc...)

If you cannot 'do it yourself' with a classic frame why not 'block mount'?

You can use either foam board or chipboard - the foamboard you can easily cut yourself, the chipboard most suppliers will cut to size.

True, you do not actually get a frame per se, but photgraphs can look stunning mounted unframed on a dead flat surface like that.

 

[JerryPH]

Well, there are 2 points to consider, unfortunately neither will help you immediately... first would be to always give yourself room and take the shot larger than you need and that gives you artistic ability to crop as needed.

Second (but a little more challenging), you could be thinking about this aspect as you are composing the shot initially and from there properly frame the subject in advance.


There is a 3rd, but I don't really suggest it... because it is more destructive... yeah, crop it tighter and cut out some good parts of the pic, if possible, it might work, but I kinda doubt it. A headless or legless giraff looks... different.

 

[Jeff Canes]

Would they look ok if you resize with different height and width ratios?

As for the giraffe what about those do it yourself frame system that you see in the art stores along with the plastics glass and backing from a 24x36 poster frame

 

[NateS]

Well, framing looser won't really help, will it, if you believe the ideal composition has a different aspect ratio to the paper available?

Two things I did that I found gave me much greater freedom:

1) Decided that I was perfectly happy to cut the paper to get the composition I wanted.

2) Realised that photographs actually look a lot more classy if they have nice, wide, borders.

A combination of those two 'techniques' solved my aspect ratio problems,



If you cannot 'do it yourself' with a classic frame why not 'block mount'?

You can use either foam board or chipboard - the foamboard you can easily cut yourself, the chipboard most suppliers will cut to size.

True, you do not actually get a frame per se, but photgraphs can look stunning mounted unframed on a dead flat surface like that.

So you do a "digital" frame and print it like that? I put the border/frames for posting on the web but never thought about doing one in a print. I'm also not sure if that's what you mean.

I might try mounting the giraffe picture onto a foam board. I'm guessing you'd need a special type of glue to keep from seeping through the picture?.....I'll search around on this topic.

 

[NateS]

Would they look ok if you resize with different height and width ratios?

As for the giraffe what about those do it yourself frame system that you see in the art stores along with the plastics glass and backing from a 24x36 poster frame

You mean not maintain my aspect ratio when resizing? This would distort the image and mess up the look I think. I haven't seen the DIY frame systems...don't know of any art stores around here. Although, maybe hobby lobby had those if I had looked hard enough.

 

[Big Mike]

When I'm shooting something that think might be ordered in 8x10...I do try to leave extra space. When I think that it will never go above 4x6...I don't worry about it and might get in close. For the most part, staying on the loose side is a bit safer. Most SLR viewfinders aren't 100 view, which does give you a bit of leeway but not much.

In your scenario, I'd tell the client that you would prefer to give them prints that fit the image...so rather than an 8x10...give him an 8x12. If necessary, find a frame or matte that goes with that print size.

 

[Bifurcator]

Photographs look fine printed with large white (or grey/black/etc.) boarders on only one side or another. In fact it often looks more artsy IMO. Just scale to fit in one dimension and press print.

Also you can scale with stretch & squash unproportionately and more times than not no one can tell - even though you can.

Additionally you can do the thing where part of the truck sticks out of the rest of the image. So that the BG frame is proportionate but the FG subject extends.

Example layouts, matting, frames, and ideas:

• http://www.purpleraincoat.com/images/t-mom-dad.jpg
• http://www.purpleraincoat.com/anniversary-wedding-keepsakes.html
• http://www.trinityphotodetroit.com/wedding_albums
• http://www.behtazehta.com/framed_photos.htm
• http://www.decodog.com/inven/prints/pr28350.jpg
• http://www.gamesiren.com/trin/Photos/wallartex5.jpg
• http://homepage.ntlworld.com/sionyboy/photos/mywallofgeek.jpg
• http://www.salinepictureframe.com/showroom/images/uploads/goldstadium.jpg
• http://www.dargate.com/254_auction/254_images/1259.jpg
• http://www.mccollectibles.net/Images/pvf suede matt big.jpg
• https://securemcc.prelitho.com/templesdottheearth/images/ldstemples_framed_gold_lg.jpg (but maybe with truck specifications or something)
• http://www.dargate.com/226_auction/226_pics/2774.jpg
• http://www.submarinestore.com/art-calligraphy.htm

etc. etc. etc.

 

[Jeff Canes]

You mean not maintain my aspect ratio when resizing? This would distort the image and mess up the look I think. I haven't seen the DIY frame systems...don't know of any art stores around here. Although, maybe hobby lobby had those if I had looked hard enough.

Yes that's what I meet and Yes it can make the image look mess up, that’s why I said “would it look ok”, sometime if you can get the crop near to the right aspect this trick can work.

Not sure where you live. I have got them from national chains Pearl and Michaels before but I do not see then on their sites, also Target has some different sizes frames
http://www.pearlpaint.com/
http://www.michaels.com/art/online/home
[FONT=&quot]http://www.pfile.com/index.html

18x24 at Target
http://www.target.com/Aluminum-Post...8576&rh=k:frames,n:13035431,p_3:$0-$24&page=1
[/FONT]

 

[NateS]

Actually I'm thinking I could get an 18x24 frame and throw a piece of black poster board behind the photo....this would put a simple 1" black border on both the top and bottom which would blend in with a black frame....For future reference, an 18x24 wouldn't be too heavy of a crop compared to a 16x20.

 

[NateS]

Well, I'm going to try something new. The photo below it the one he wanted in 11x14 but wouldn't work with that crop so he chose a different one....So to be safe I'm going to print the other one he chose and the one below with the border I made. I'd like to hear what people think of the look with the border I did.

 

[elemental]

I think it looks nice, though it might look nicer without the teal stripes. I'd have to see it.

I've been having similar problems with getting prints made and on the ones I just can't compromise I've been having them printed with white space left on the print, which a pair of scissors will easily take care of.

 

[NateS]

Well, if I put white space on the edges and then cut it off it wouldn't fill the 11x14 frame completely, so however it prints is how it stays. I tried it with just black and it looked like I forgot to crop the edges....I was hoping that adding the stripes that match the truck it gave a little more significance to the black borders......don't know....

 

[Big Mike]

Make the bottom border a little bit bigger than the top.

 

[NateS]

Make the bottom border a little bit bigger than the top.

And Lose the stripes or leave them?