by Whitney Schuyler Hubbard,
Staff Photographer

Aspect ratio is a term that describes the relationship of an image's width to it's height. It is an important concept to understand, especially if you want to print the photos you take. If you look up a description of your camera model, you will find the aspect ratio is listed as a set of numbers separated by a colon, such as 3:2 or 4:3. These numbers will represent the ratio of the length of the sides of the images your camera takes. An easy way to think about how aspect ratio relates to the actual size of your photos is to put inches beside the numbers. For example, a 3:2 aspect ratio would be the same as a 3 inch by 2 inch image. If you double that to 6 inches by 4 inches, your aspect ratio stays the same because the relationship of the length of the sides stays the same, even if the physical size of the image changes.

When you decide to print an image, you might find yourself with a product that is cropped in differently than the picture you see on your camera. This is because the aspect ratio of your camera is often different than that of your paper. The aspect ratio of 35mm film, and also of many digital SLR cameras, is 3:2, and some digital cameras include settings that allow you to change their aspect ratio. However, photo paper comes in a variety of sizes, not all sizes will correspond exactly with your camera's aspect ratio. As you now know, a standard 4x6 inch paper size will perfectly fit an image with a 3:2 aspect ratio. However, printing at a larger standard size will cut in on your photo - a 5x7 inch paper will crop in on the image just a little bit, and an 8x10 will crop out quite a lot.

It is helpful to think about how you will want to display your images while you are shooting. A simple way to compensate for a difference between your planned paper size and your camera's aspect ratio is to leave room on the sides of your subject with the intention of cropping that part out. Simply stepping back and placing a little extra space around your subject can prevent cropping mistakes easily.

It is possible to print your images at their original aspect ratio on paper that does not correspond exactly. You may choose to print on a larger sheet of paper, and cut your image down to size. Also, some kinds of photo paper are sold in rolls that you can cut into sheets yourself, which makes it possible to print at custom sizes. Depending on the kind of printer you are using, varying your paper size for a custom fit may be a better option.

The images below illustrate the differences in dimension. The red box indicates how each image would print if you were to print it to an 8x10 inch print.

Toyota apparently decided to use some images from photo sharing site Flickr without obtaining the permission to do so. The images appeared in a 4Runner ad (The images now appear to have permission from the photographers). Toyota aplogized for the blunder on the Flickr forums stating that:

"Toyota apologizes for pulling images from Flickr without photographer permission. Images from a handful of photographers appeared on a Toyota site for five days. We're working quickly to reach out to the individual photographers involved. Until then, the images have been removed, and corrections have been made to the process of pulling images from Flickr."

While copyright and licensing issues have always existed, the news spreads much quicker now thanks to social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. You can follow all the drama (and see some good photos) at the links below.

Original story from PDN
Flickr Forums
Flickr

"Mangiante's staff is top-notch when it comes to managing a photo shoot effectively. For our team, they had already picked a location for the backdrop, corralled the kids and were ready to go at the scheduled time. It was Mangiante's process and execution that were critical to garnering a successful outcome."

Steve Wills

Photography is an ever-changing industry for both professionals and consumers. With the advent of digital photography, we can all strive to be great photographers. Likewise, we believe photography is a great career aspiration for children in our community.

Mangiante Photography, LLC offers our photography experts for complimentary speaking engagements and photo classes at Mid-South schools. There is no cost or obligation to the school or the students. We can tailor the information to your specific group, age category and level of expertise.

Do you need someone to speak to your art, yearbook or photography class or club? As professionals in the photography industry, we truly believe in the continuation of our industry. We feel that sharing our knowledge with the community, specifically students, is a great way to give back to the community that has built our business.

Call or e-mail us to find out how to schedule a speaker for your school!

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• Figure Skating Club of Memphis
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• Investec Realty Services
• Napa Cafe
• The Neurology Group
• Piperton Baptist Church

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