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How do you handle cropping or DO you even crop?

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superakuma

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A couple of weeks ago my niece decided to take advantage of me and asked me to shoot her family reunion. Since she was my niece and I love her so I did this free of charge, well for exchange for her cooking.

Besides taking one large group, I also did couples, sister, parents, grandparents.....and so on. I used a plain white background as the background and used photoshop to create a "studio" backdrop.

After the job was done I needed to process the image. When I shoot I was always taught to shoot with some space for cropping. So when I processed the image I did some cropping as well because some image look better when it is not the full body.

So after a few days I gave the image back to them, digital files on a dvd. They went and got it printed and showed me the results of the prints. Half of the prints where chopped off either on the top or the side. I realized that the mistake was on my part because when I cropped it in LR3, I just moved the crop slider to crop to best framed the image.

I know there are "presets" cropping ratios in lightroom. Since there are soo many different size, is there a golden ratio that I should crop at that will cover most of the popular size? If I did the print myself, this would not be a problem because I would crop to whatever size I plan to print.

So do you crop to a certain size or do you even crop at all? I know this is the PRO talk area and most PRO hates to give away digital negative, but for those who do, how do you handle crop?

--
Sai Saelee
 
I never crop unless I am doing the printing, I always shoot allowing the image to be printed to any size, then supply uncropped images.
Regards,
Bruce.
 
first no golden crop that I know of...

two ways to deal with this...lock your sizes in LR to the proportions and make a version in a folder for 4:5 and 2:3....keep the 4:5 images loose they should serve as well for 5:7 and 11:14...label the folders for the sizes of the prints they should make

or....tell them to print for the entire image w/o cropping....will result in white borders on prints made that are not in proportion to the cropping you used...most kiosks do allow this type of printing.
--
Richard Katris aka Chanan
 
I shoot and crop for a 5x7" ratio. One, because I do not sell anything smaller than a 5x7 (images from camera are native 4x6" ratio), and two, for the sizes I do sell Only my 10x20 and 10x30's require heavy work (and 99% of them are composites anyway) or adjustment to get correct. The rest need SLIGHT trimming of the image to fit.

I have found if you correctly frame the shot and crop for 5x7" ratio, the client can blindly just do a default center crop for 4x5/8x10, 11x14, 16x20 etc with a fraction of image loss and certainly no cutting heads off etc. I dont give alot of clients CD's but it even helps me after proofing for ordering because I dont have to go back and adjust the image again to fit because I cropped it too close or cropped to an 8x10 extra tightand they want a 5x7, thus cutting something off.
 
superakuma said:
A couple of weeks ago my niece decided to take advantage of me and asked me to shoot her family reunion. Since she was my niece and I love her so I did this free of charge, well for exchange for her cooking.

Besides taking one large group, I also did couples, sister, parents, grandparents.....and so on. I used a plain white background as the background and used photoshop to create a "studio" backdrop.

After the job was done I needed to process the image. When I shoot I was always taught to shoot with some space for cropping. So when I processed the image I did some cropping as well because some image look better when it is not the full body.

So after a few days I gave the image back to them, digital files on a dvd. They went and got it printed and showed me the results of the prints. Half of the prints where chopped off either on the top or the side. I realized that the mistake was on my part because when I cropped it in LR3, I just moved the crop slider to crop to best framed the image.

I know there are "presets" cropping ratios in lightroom. Since there are soo many different size, is there a golden ratio that I should crop at that will cover most of the popular size? If I did the print myself, this would not be a problem because I would crop to whatever size I plan to print.

So do you crop to a certain size or do you even crop at all? I know this is the PRO talk area and most PRO hates to give away digital negative, but for those who do, how do you handle crop?

--
Sai Saelee
Click to expand...
I think you either need to print yourself, or find a competent Service Bureau that knows how to print. There is Nothing wrong with an odd size print, IF that's the optimum image. Those who post above me, are printing for "clients" who need and expect a particular format. I don't.

I crop (if necessary) to optimise the image, and then I get that image printed the way I want it - Either myself on my Epson 3000, or with a printer I have a long relationship with.

Dave
 
When I shoot family I always crop and give them a folder on the CD formatted for 4x6 prints with the cropped images masked with white borders. That way the image is properly cropped and prints exactly as you've prepared it.

--
Larry Berman
http://BermanGraphics.com
 
Supply the files in the original 3:2 format (as in the native format of the camera or 6x4). If you do any cropping at the processing stage, for example to remove imperfections at the edges of the frame or to zoom in a little on the subject, still leave the picture in the same 3:2 format.

Of the common print sizes the 10x8 (or 20x16) print is the one which crops the most, so in shooting and subsequent processing you need to leave enough blank space either side of the subject to enable the frame to be comfortably cropped to print a 10x8 or 20x16.

Supplying the file in any other aspect ratio would mean the printer having to crop top and bottom to print any of the more modern formats such as 6x4, 12x8 etc.
 
You should crop to the ration that your prints are going to be. It's that simple really. If you are having different sizes of the same shot printed and the papers are different ratios then you need to crop separately to both. there is no golden rule. Crop must relate to final print. It's obvious really.
Jules
superakuma said:
A couple of weeks ago my niece decided to take advantage of me and asked me to shoot her family reunion. Since she was my niece and I love her so I did this free of charge, well for exchange for her cooking.

Besides taking one large group, I also did couples, sister, parents, grandparents.....and so on. I used a plain white background as the background and used photoshop to create a "studio" backdrop.

After the job was done I needed to process the image. When I shoot I was always taught to shoot with some space for cropping. So when I processed the image I did some cropping as well because some image look better when it is not the full body.

So after a few days I gave the image back to them, digital files on a dvd. They went and got it printed and showed me the results of the prints. Half of the prints where chopped off either on the top or the side. I realized that the mistake was on my part because when I cropped it in LR3, I just moved the crop slider to crop to best framed the image.

I know there are "presets" cropping ratios in lightroom. Since there are soo many different size, is there a golden ratio that I should crop at that will cover most of the popular size? If I did the print myself, this would not be a problem because I would crop to whatever size I plan to print.

So do you crop to a certain size or do you even crop at all? I know this is the PRO talk area and most PRO hates to give away digital negative, but for those who do, how do you handle crop?

--
Sai Saelee
Click to expand...
--
It's hot here!
 
It's a droplet I've been using for six years. I made that decision years ago. It could have been black or white as a universal background. White doesn't appear to be the background and isn't noticeable but black appears to be added deliberately. Of course you could go in and do each image independently but that would take time.
AndreRSA said:
If I may ask Larry, why the white borders?
Click to expand...
--
Larry Berman
http://BermanGraphics.com
 
So often we see at CostCo, SamsClub, WalMart or Walgreens photo kiosk the UNHAPPY family groups or budget brides who get back their El-CHEAPO (budget buddy shot 'em) prints... crappy cropped, head and foot chopped... groups with end players sliced.

I do some initial adjustments at the native file aspect ratio

When I know what sizes are desired, I then CROP to that aspect ratio, and if size is 8x10 or larger, may do further editing...(or not). The files prepared for printing are always file-named with the intended print size...ie: 16x20_IMG1235.jpg
 
You write > I know this is the PRO talk area and most PRO hates to give away digital negative, but for those who do, how do you handle crop?

My pictures fall into three cropping scenarios.

1/ For shots where I control the final reproduction -- web site I can control, a predetermined format like shooting for a magazine cover, a framed image where my client or I can get a custom mat -- I crop the shot the way I like.

2/ No idea shots, where I have no idea how the picture will be used. For these I usually retain the original 4x6 -- 2:3 ratio, but might, for intance, cropoff the garbage can in the corner.

But this is loose cropping, so 8x10s can usually be made, assuming I left enough room at the edges.

3/ My own file for ordering prints. For files where I'm going to order prints, and especially if prints of several sizes, I edit the image for color, etc., but I leave it full size.

Then I load that full frame 2:3 file into an on-line processing system (usually Costco) and use the site's own cropping tools so I can order both a 12x18 and an 11x14.

BAK
 
Thanks for the advice, I guess there is really no way around this but to crop to print. I was hoping to just give them the files and they can do whatever they want with it.
--
Sai Saelee
 
You wrote > to just give them the files and they can do whatever they want with it.

If you do all the necessary lightening, darkening, color correction, etc., just give them the unresized (i.e. original size) files.

At Walmart, Costco, etc., they will then have the option to pick a print size, and see ont hemonitor inthe store how the crop weillwork.

By shooting "loose" in th efirst place, everything will work out pretty well.

BAK
 
For those of you who say you crop whatever ratio when you control the print, what do you tell clients who try and get your prints framed and find out they need a weird custom matte and frame that's going to cost them several hundred dollars?

Don't crop and print to odd sizes unless you know for damn sure the picture isn't going to be framed in a standard frame.

 
I don't sell many framed prints, but when I do, this extra framing cost comes out of my pocket; I can't seem to get clients to think that a framed 9.5 x 12.25 should cost $40 more than a framed 11x14.

BAK
 
I like to shoot tight, because after all, every pixel is precious. When I crop, I like to make the perfect crop.

However, publishers and printers think otherwise. You have to let go of your ego, and provide generous margins for cropping.
 
My camera makes 2:3 ratio files.

I crop in camera for this ratio and all my delivered files (with the exception of panoramas and such) are this ratio.

If they order a different ratio, I crop it if I can. If not, I tell them to order something else.

I shoot the 'formals' REALLY loose so that they can be cropped-for-print to the 8x10 that everyone seems to like.

--
JOE FEDERER
Websites:
http://www.joefederer.com
http://www.federerphotography.com/blog
http://www.theprofessionalphotographyforum.com/
 
Only Nikon with its D3 cameras provides a crop feature that should be provided with every digital camera. With the 5:4 setting all the pictures are cropped in camera to be 4x5 in scale which makes for perfect 8x10 with no cropping and very little cropping to create a 5x7 or 11x14. The standard 35mm ratio of most cameras works only for 4x6 and 12x18 and 20x30 prints, otherwise you need to crop.
 
You must take your images to a custom lab. Most one hour labs will not custom size your prints. For example, Noritsu's digital printers will crop the sides of the images that is because the aspect ratio is not true to the paper size.
 
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