You want an 8×12, not an 8×10 print…wait what?
Ready to order an 8×10 photo? You may want to consider the aspect ratio of the photo and how you plan on displaying your print. The aspect ratio of an image describes the proportional relationship of the width and height of an image. When you’re printing photographs, there are some considerations you should make before you buy a frame. You will want to keep the aspect ratio of the photo in mind so you’re not forced you to crop the image in a way that you don’t want.
Since the origin of the 35mm film camera, the majority of photos taken by modern cameras for last several decades are a 2:3 aspect ratio. This naturally translates to prints that are 4×6, 8×12, 11×14 and larger sizes like 20×30 and 24×36.
So why is an 8×10” enlargement so popular? The 4:5 ratio is from medium and large format cameras that go back over 100 years ago. While Medium and Large format cameras that use this ratio still exist but they’re not as common. The majority of digital cameras from Canon, Nikon, Sony and most other companies use the 2:3 ratio similar to original 35mm film. For an individual portrait, cropping the image to an 8×10 often works great, it fits the face really well. An 8×10 is often a requirement for an actor’s headshot as an example but for group photos you might run into some issues.
Lets take a look at some examples.
In the above an example, choosing an 8×10 sized photo would partially cut out two members of the wedding party. Sticking with a 4:6 ratio and getting an 8×12″ print would be the best choice.
In this (above) example an 8×10 for this image would trim the guys at the elbows but a 5×7 and of course an 8×12 would be perfect.
Cropping to an 8×10 absolutely does work with some photos. Thanks to the high resolution of modern cameras you can often crop use a photo in a different way than it was originally shot. The image on the left can be cropped a variety of different ways, even horizontal.
Interested in ordering prints from your portrait session? As of this month, I’m in the process of moving all my client galleries over to a new service. This will offer you the choice of a wide variety of print options. This includes all the sizes you want, materials and even other special items like calendars, greeting cards and more.
I’ll be sending all my clients new gallery links with their final edited photos for order prints. Haven’t received your new gallery link? Send me an email and I’ll get you set up as quickly as possible.
