What is aspect ratio of an image?
In photography, aspect ratio represents the relationship between the width and the height of an image.
What is the best aspect ratio?
There is no such thing as the “best” aspect ratio, because it all depends on what the objective is.
Social Media ratios vary. Instagram uses a 4:5 aspect ratio. Instagram Stories use the 16:9 aspect ratio. Pinterest uses a 3:2 aspect ratio for their pins. Twitter uses a 1:1 square. Facebook's aspect ratio is flexible at 2:1 or 1:1.
But one of the best places for your photographs is on your wall, and that is why we are going to look at how aspect ratio affects the look of your print or canvas.
"A photograph doesn’t feel real until it is a tangible physical object I can hold in my hand.”
– Stephen Johnson
So, why don't my differently sized prints look the same?
It is a mathematical impossibility to have your 4x6, 5x7, and 8x10 prints of the same image look the same.
If you would like to print your image so that it will appear the same as the digital file, choose a print size that is in line with the aspect ratio that the photos were taken in- 3:2.
Choosing print or canvas sizes that are multiples of 4x6 (8x12, 12x18, 16x24, 20x30, etc) will allow you to print without cropping!
If you chose to print 5x7 or 8x10, cropping will be necessary. Most printing services have both an "auto-crop" and a "manual crop" option. To be able to control the look of your final image, choose the “manual crop” option.
If you don't already have a favorite printing lab, I would like to suggest https://www.persnicketyprints.com/ for their excellent quality, reasonable pricing, and quick shipping. (I have no kick-back from them; I just really like their prints!)
Interested in booking a session with Melinda Boll Photography?
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