Resizing images for printing

[susanhmorgan]

Hi everyone. I need to know, do you have to resize all photos to print out as 8x10, 5x7, etc?? I got myself into a bit of a mess trying to save photos as 4x6,5x7,8x10, then the subject of the photos wanted the 5x7 to be an 8x10, an 8x10 to be a 5x7, and wanted 4x6's of all photos taken.. In all the confusion, I had some bad croppings printed and thought, "there's got to be an easier way".. Thanks for any advice! Susan

[autofocus]

Susan, your DSLR produces images on a 2x3 aspect ratio. So any multiple of 2x3 can be produced without losing any of the image...as in 4x6, 8x12, 12x18, etc. Being that 5x7, 8x10, and 11x14 are not multiples of 2x3 any crop to those sizes will lose part of the image. If you can't get a good 8x10 crop from an original 2x3, you can always suggest an 8x12 as an option...no image data lost for that version. I always save the original 2x3 (4x6), and if I'm doing re-crops of an image to show a customer, I'll aways do it as a 4x6. If the customer wants an 8x10 version of that cropped image, I always have the original native 2x3 to use if it'll work out. You get in trouble when you do a very tight shot 4x6, and the customer wants an 8x10 of it. Sometimes, in some of these situations you can stretch the crop to an 8x10, but it only works some of the times. Does this help you at all?

[OsmosisStudios]

Get the clients order before cropping. Proofs are full-image samples, and they order the sizes they want for each picture. You crop to order.

[susanhmorgan]

Autofocus, yes this did help me. I do have one question, though.. I've always tried to crop my images in camera, another words, I try to take the picture as I would like it printed.. My skills aren't great yet and I always have to manipulate exposure, and I sometimes cut off feet because I'm focusing in on expression (I have to make myself slow down and look at whole picture).. should I zoom out more to give myself room for cropping as a rule? thank you so much for your help yet again!!

Osmosis, Thank you also. I actually did have the clients order, and she changed her mind about some of the sizes after I had already saved them at size she originally wanted.. Oh well.. guess you'll run into all kinds of things in this business, eh? thanks!!

[autofocus]

I do have one question, though.. I've always tried to crop my images in camera, another words, I try to take the picture as I would like it printed

OK if you're prepared to live with tight shots at the 2x3 aspect ratio for many of your crops

should I zoom out more to give myself room for cropping as a rule?

The short answer is yes. Also make sure you are shooting at the max resolution your camera will support. Focus also becomes more critical because enlarging an image will show more flaws

[OsmosisStudios]

Originally Posted by susanhmorgan

Osmosis, Thank you also. I actually did have the clients order, and she changed her mind about some of the sizes after I had already saved them at size she originally wanted.. Oh well.. guess you'll run into all kinds of things in this business, eh? thanks!!

Charge extra.