Cropping Aspect Ratios

[dwservingHim]

Hey,
I've always noticed that most professional photos have a more 'square' ratio vs. my very wide aspect ratio. Is this because they're probably shot with a full format camera where as my Nikon D5000 is a cropped sensor. Is this why, or do they crop it in post-production because it works better for some reason. Why is this? Thanks

[Doug Sundseth]

There's not much correlation between native aspect ratio and cost of camera. Most point & shoot cameras use a 4x3 ratio, most DSLRs use 3x2 (inherited from 35mm film), some larger format camera sensors are square.

Printed aspect ratio is chosen for many reasons. It might be that the editor needs to fit a space on a page, or it might be that a photographer wants to sell a print in a size that fits one of the many standard frames, or it might be that there's an artistic reason for the crop.

When shooting, it's worth considering what ratio or ratios you are likely to use, so that your frame will cover them without having to throw away too much data. Other than that, aspect ratio is essentially arbitrary.

[OsmosisStudios]

Most pros shoot for the 8x10, which is a more square ratio (4x5 instead "4x6"). 99% of people do this in post, but it can be done in-camera on the D700 and D3/D3s/D3x