Something I'm struggling with...

wyogirl · Dec 4, 2015

OK... I realize that there is an easy answer here, but I'm struggling none the less. With landscape photos in particular but sometimes others... this is a long description of my problem...

1. I see a shot and I set up for it.
2. I frame it in the viewfinder and its perfect
3. I edit it and am happy enough with the results that I want to print it
4. The majority of popular print sizes (and frame options) requre cropping my image.
5. I DO NOT WANT MY IMAGE CROPPED

So I guess, what are some tips to help me frame something in camera with specific print sizes in mind?
I shoot with a 7dmkii which I think has 100% viewfinder coverage.

Here are two shots that I am particularly wanting to print, but I'm getting frustrated with my cropping options:

Mountain Reflection at Dawn by Amanda McClure, on Flickr

Sunrise Barn by Amanda McClure, on Flickr

Derrel · Dec 4, 2015

The "problem" is one that was created long, long, long ago. Today's most popular cameras shoot images in a 3:2 aspect ratio, based off of the old 135 film's image size standard, that of a frame that measures 24mm x 36mm, give or take a half millimeter or less per side. Popular print sizes however, like 8 x 10 inches, or 16 x 20 inches, are the wrong aspect ratio for an image that was originally composed and then shot with a camera that captures using a 3:2 aspect ratio. When printing from 35mm negatives, the once popular 11 x 14 inch enlargement wasted a positively obscene amount of the left and right margins or a horizontally-composed image!

The real issue is that the 3:2 aspect ratio camera's images do not match many common, popular print sizes! So...you might have to start printing images with custom sizes, and have custom-sized mattes made, or make them yourself.

SCraig · Dec 4, 2015

Or shoot wide enough to leave room for cropping.

john.margetts · Dec 4, 2015

If you do not want to crop your pictures, crop the paper. I cut a slther off the long side of A format papers to make the print 200 mm by 300 mm. If you cannot get A format paper where you are, large margins will sort it out for you.

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tirediron · Dec 4, 2015

Print 8x12.

Designer · Dec 4, 2015

I bought a print that was 8 x 12 and had to rebuild an 8 x 14 frame to fit it.

I thought briefly about going into the custom framing business. :biggrin-93:

The_Traveler · Dec 4, 2015

Lots of people sell both mats and frames that are in the 2:3 aspect ratio.
That ratio works quite well in landscape for landscapes but not so well, imo, for portrait aspect.

For example.

ahmadabhamid · Dec 4, 2015

Set the aspect ratio on your camera to the print size. Not sure if your 7dmkii aspect ratio can be changed. I have both S700 and X-T1. Not sure which one but one of it is customisable

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ahmadabhamid · Dec 4, 2015

D700. Sorry for the typo

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wyogirl · Dec 4, 2015

SCraig said:
Or shoot wide enough to leave room for cropping.

this is where I struggle.... I mean if I could get an overlay inside the viewfinder I could do this more effectivly but I cant' seem to judge this properly on my own.

wyogirl · Dec 4, 2015

So, I figured out that I can shoot 4:3 on my camera but now I'm curious as to how exactly that works... Like if I shoot in 4:3 but RAW... is the "cropped" portion's information still there to recover if I wanted to? (like when shooting RAW but black and white, the color info is still there) I mean its not like the sensor size changed.

tirediron · Dec 4, 2015

wyogirl said:
So, I figured out that I can shoot 4:3 on my camera but now I'm curious as to how exactly that works... Like if I shoot in 4:3 but RAW... is the "cropped" portion's information still there to recover if I wanted to? (like when shooting RAW but black and white, the color info is still there) I mean its not like the sensor size changed.

That's your native aspect ratio; you want to be able to shoot 4:5 (for 8x10). On my cameras, there's a menu-selectable overlay that appears in the viewfinder to indicate a 4:5 ratio.

wyogirl · Dec 4, 2015

tirediron said:
wyogirl said:

So, I figured out that I can shoot 4:3 on my camera but now I'm curious as to how exactly that works... Like if I shoot in 4:3 but RAW... is the "cropped" portion's information still there to recover if I wanted to? (like when shooting RAW but black and white, the color info is still there) I mean its not like the sensor size changed.

Click to expand...

That's your native aspect ratio; you want to be able to shoot 4:5 (for 8x10). On my cameras, there's a menu-selectable overlay that appears in the viewfinder to indicate a 4:5 ratio.

Mine only works in live view that I can see... but I'll look deeper in the menu. I guess I'm kind of just complaining about something that I cannot control.... being that all of the readily available prints, mattes and frames vary in aspect ratio.

timor · Dec 4, 2015

Just out of curiosity, in what sizes would you like to print this two, very nice images from the post #1 ?
It looks, like the basic printer used by printing services is capable of 30 inch wide paper so that would be the height of the print. Now you can work out the length to get the aspect ratio your image has.
Post #1 pictures have ratio 14 x 20 so they are good for prints 30 inch by 43 inch. It means, that you gonna have to find printer printing from roll paper, not from sheets.
Or I am going over the top ?