Cropping problem

[OversighT]

Hello everyone--
I have a handful of photos I shot for a friend that I want to make available to her in an 8x10 print. My 20D produces a full frame 8x12 when I resize the image to 8 inches on the wide side. The problem I'm having is that some of the shots don't have enough room to crop out the extra 2 inches without removing pieces that I feel should be in the photo. If I resize the tall side to 10 inches then it's too narrow. Anybody have ideas on how I can get around this? I'm going to be working on the photos tonight. Thanks.


T.

[Hogleg 44]

You can always resize them without retaining the aspect ratio and that would get everything is the picture, but that would distort the image a little.

[labguy]

1st thing don't shoot so tight, digital like 35mm is 8x12 ratio. to get around your problem try this (if using photoshop or elements) size to 10 inches let the width fall where it may, probably around 6 or 7 inches. go to canvas size set it to 8 wide. then click the rectangle marguee tool wiith 0 pixels selected. drag a part of the background with the marguee tool to fill the extra canvas, then do the same with the other side and presto you have a full 8x10. we do this for customers all the time, it works 90% of the time. the 10% it doesn't work is because there is detail in the background that might get distorted.
good luck

[OversighT]

Originally Posted by labguy

1st thing don't shoot so tight, digital like 35mm is 8x12 ratio. to get around your problem try this (if using photoshop or elements) size to 10 inches let the width fall where it may, probably around 6 or 7 inches. go to canvas size set it to 8 wide. then click the rectangle marguee tool wiith 0 pixels selected. drag a part of the background with the marguee tool to fill the extra canvas, then do the same with the other side and presto you have a full 8x10. we do this for customers all the time, it works 90% of the time. the 10% it doesn't work is because there is detail in the background that might get distorted.
good luck

Thank you so much for posting this technique. It's worked perfectly on the few photos that I just couldn't crop. This shoot has been a learning experience...I'm glad it's a friend and not a random customer. Thanks again.


T.

[Roy]

Well, I was doing fine till I got to the part..........

"drag a part of the background with the marguee tool to fill the extra canvas, then do the same with the other side and presto"

I must be a dummy. I can't get that drag part to do anything. Maybe I just don't understand. Using Photoshop 7. Here is a 6.667" x 10". Having trouble getting the 8" but I have the canvas at 8" x 10"

[labguy]

my apologies. after selecting with marguee tool, use free transform to drag the selected area to fill the canvas. transform is under the select menu in PS. or control T key

don't know how it worked for him without transforming first.

[Roy]

Thanks, I right clicked to get the options after selecting with the marguee tool. Free Transform popped up so that was easy enough. Too easy....I really feel like a dummy now :oops: I can see where it could help with some matts or frames and photos coming from the Canon 20D which is 3x2 or close to it. I'll practice improving the technique. Good tip, thanks again!

[thebeginning]

yeah, in this case you would almost have to get some of those rare 8x12 sized prints (i dont see why they are rare, since they are the same aspect ratio that should be used :? . you could try 12x18 but that's a tad big and more expensive, or you could just show her the 4x6 shots and have the ones she likes enlarged

[Xposure Photo]

Ditto!!!

That is the way I get arround it, I do not offer 8X10 nor 5X7 and I explain to the customer that I am shooting 35mm format and it is hard to adjust composition for both unless they want no composition and lots of room arround just incase...I don't like cropping photos so I shoot everyhting as I want it, it saves time in the long run, the diference between the 8X10 and 8X12 on price is not that much to cry about, the only thing not all places will have frames for it, but there are available.

8X10 format comes from Medium format cameras, 4x5's and people got stuck on the 8X10's, but no one realises that it is not a 35mm format.

On some of the old point and shoot digitals you had a choice on the size you wanted to shoot, I was hoping that the pro cameras would hve the choice for 3x2 and 4x5 to make it easier on the Wedding shooters, but I guess all of the big boys have not seen the need for it which I think it would be a deciding factor when you have to spend the big $$$.

Now who ever came out with 5X7's was just plain DUMB ! ! !

[jeffkohn]

Originally Posted by Xposure Photo

Ditto!!!

That is the way I get arround it, I do not offer 8X10 nor 5X7 and I explain to the customer that I am shooting 35mm format and it is hard to adjust composition for both unless they want no composition and lots of room arround just incase...I don't like cropping photos so I shoot everyhting as I want it, it saves time in the long run, the diference between the 8X10 and 8X12 on price is not that much to cry about, the only thing not all places will have frames for it, but there are available.

The problem is 8x12 frames are pretty hard to come by. Yes I can special order them from places like FrameDestination.com, but sometimes you just want to go to Target and get a cheap frame, and in those cases you're limited to the common sizes.

If selling framed photos to customers I could see having 8x12 as an option. But as an amatuer if I'm going to give prints to a friend or family member I'm going to stick to 8x10 or 5x7 so that they're able to actually find frames for them. Plus, 3:2 is nice for some things, but it's not the best ratio in all cases. For instance I think 8x10 is often going to be better for portraits, where 3:2 is just too narrow for anything but full length shots.

On some of the old point and shoot digitals you had a choice on the size you wanted to shoot, I was hoping that the pro cameras would hve the choice for 3x2 and 4x5 to make it easier on the Wedding shooters, but I guess all of the big boys have not seen the need for it which I think it would be a deciding factor when you have to spend the big $$$.

Any digital camera that offers multiple aspect ratios is just doing the cropping for you, I don't really see how that's any better than cropping yourself after the fact.

Now who ever came out with 5X7's was just plain DUMB ! ! !

Well now, I don't know about that. It seems to me there's a method to the madness. Consider:

- A 4x6 print with 1/2-inch border/matte will fit a 5x7 frame
- A 5x7 print with 1.5-inch border/matte will fit an 8x10 frame

I don't think that's coincidence... :)

[Xposure Photo]

Aron's Bros got 8X12 frames so there is no need to order, and they are at a good price, but again, it will all depend on your customer base, ..on the other Hand, Model portfolios are Ussually 9X12's go figure! some one had to keep beign diferent.

If the Camera has the choice of digital film size, and you know you will be using all as 8X10, then you can see your composition on an 8X10 format so you don't have to be in the predicament latter of what to crop. I actually have seen some viewfinders where thw Photographer has marked it allready so he can compose for both so that way no matter what size they want he does not have to worry, just tell the lab to crop it evenly and it is a done deal.

Good point about the matting, it comes in handy!

[Dawn]

hoping somebody could assist me learning how to remove an object from a photo? Using PS 6.

sorry if this is answered elsewhere, couldn't find it and I'm taking quite a bit of time reading this entire forum - great tips!

[jburly]

Dawn, one of the most common ways is to use the clone tool. As a tip, I like to create a new layer & then have "use all layers" selected. This allows me to clone to the new layer so that I can always go back to the original if I decide I don't like the final result.

I'm using PS 7, so I am guessing that it isn't very different from PS 6.

[labguy]

pro standard sizes are 8x10, 11x14, 16x20 etc. always have been , always will be, no matter what size film or digital you shoot. either adjust for cropping in the viewfinder when you shoot , or offer amateur sizes 8x12, 16x24, 20x30 etc.

[Xposure Photo]

I agree on the Standard sizes, 8x10's etc. but I don't consider 8X12 and 20X30's Amateurish, it is just getting the full frame on what your camera can capture, otherwise just shoot Medium format, why bother with 35 then....as I am typing this I am sitting here at a coffee shop and there are Frames for sale with photos in it, they are 35mm and are printer full frame and selling for almost $400.00 each, I take a full frame shot over a croped shot any day, unless the photography and composition was bad.

just my $0.02