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What aspect ratios do Pentax users like?

Started Oct 5, 2020 | Discussions thread
Barry Pearson
OP Barry Pearson Veteran Member • Posts: 9,625
What aspect ratios do I like?

Nowadays I most use FF, so I start with a 3:2 or 2:3 image.

But I nearly always crop in Lightroom, so what I like for the final image varies a lot.
I've just (re-)examined many of my resultant images, and these are typical aspect ratios:

Action

Aircraft in flight, birds in flight, motor-sports (bikes and cars), etc, tend to take place in a fairly horizontal arena.

I often end up with a 3:2 ratio.

Portraiture

For most portraiture in my home-studio, for just one person, I mostly (not always) end up with "portraiture-orientation". (Surprise, surprise!)

In such cases, on average about 2:3.

But for outdoor portraits, I am likely to include some scenic context, and typically that will be on either side of the subject.

In such cases, on average about 3:2.

Landscapes

I mostly end up with "landscape-orientation", as might be expected!

But the aspect ratio varies a lot, because there is often vertical interest.
Or I may stitch a number of images into a horizontal (rarely vertical) panorama.

So anything from (say) 2:1 or wider, to perhaps 4:3.

Buildings

A bit like landscapes.

Interiors: mostly (but not always) "landscape-orientation". Perhaps 3:2.

Exteriors: this depends entirely on the building! I can't spot a personal preference.

Square

If my cropping in Lightroom is nearly square, I typically make it exactly square: 1:1.

Why?

I don't know! But somehow I do like square!
(Yet I don't - yet - post to Instagram).

 Barry Pearson's gear list:Barry Pearson's gear list
Ricoh GR III Canon EOS R5 Canon EOS R7 Canon EF 8-15mm f/4L Fisheye USM Canon EF-S 10-18mm F4.5–5.6 IS STM +28 more
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