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What the heck is aspect ratio? We've got the answers that will help you explain different crops to your clients and avoid confusion!
Why Does Your Photography Aspect Ratio Matter?
When it comes to the technical aspects of photography, there are many little things that can make a big difference. One of those things is aspect ratios for photography. But how do you even know which aspect ratio is the right one for you to use? We'll break down the most commonly used aspect ratios, why they are important, and how to decide on which aspect ratio to use for your photography.
What is Photo Aspect Ratio?
Let's start by defining aspect ratio. It's something that many photographers are taught about, but not many can actually figure out how to put it into words. The aspect ratio describes the relationship between your images with and height. There are many commonly used aspect ratios that can help to aesthetically and technically serve an image.
Why is Aspect Ratio Important?
PhotoDesk lets you view, like, comment, and download Instagram pictures/videos. / Image Posting! Instagram forbids that! AND you need an existing Instagram account). But you can do so much more. Of all Mac clients, Photodesk allows you to use the most features of Instagram on your Mac and even exceeds Instagram's functionality. You can upload photos and videos to Instagram Stories in any aspect ratio from 1:9:1 to 9:16. However, you're more likely to capture attention (and make your posts easier to see and understand) if you fill up the entire Stories screen with no borders.
Your aspect ratio is important for both technical and aesthetic reasons. The proportional relationship of the width and height of your images makes a difference in the final presentation. It also makes a difference depending on the format that the images are being displayed in. Paying attention to the aspect ratios you are using, instead of freehand cropping, will lead to consistency in your images.
Using it for Technical Reasons
If we're speaking technically, then film is the most important place where you need to consider your aspect ratios. With digital photos, you can choose to shoot them with specific proportions, but you also have the ease of digital cropping to help. You can crop film photos in development, as well, but the different aspect proportions of your film will matter more to begin with.
Using it for Aesthetic Reasons
Aesthetically, your aspect ratio matters both in-camera and in post-processing. If you choose to shoot images in specific proportions then change them with cropping, you'll achieve a different visual result than the image you started with. If you shot a 3:2 headshot portrait, for example, and filled the entire frame, you're going to have to figure out what to cut out in post-processing if you decide to put it on social media.
When you use crops with common proportions, your images will also just be more aesthetically pleasing. Instead of cropping into whatever shape you like, consider some of the most commonly used aspect ratios are. As people, we're used to looking at images, screens and prints in certain sizes. Straying from proportions that complement each other well can make your image less visually appealing.
It can also matter greatly when you're putting together your images. If your image is reliant on the horizon line as a compositional element, you'll need to plan out what aspect ratio to use ahead of time.
How Aspect Ratio Affects Composition
When you go through the settings on your cameras, many digital cameras now give you the option to adjust your aspect ratios. This will allow you to take photos with the aspect ratio already set. Your rations make a big difference when it comes to taking images, so make sure yours is set how you want.
Cropping in Post-Production
If you crop your images in post-processing, it will make it so you cut information out of your photos. Instead of cutting those pixels out of your image, setting your aspect ratios ahead of time allows you to get the scene just as you want it while shooting with your cameras.
Adjusting Your Aspect Ratio After the Fact
Sometimes it is necessary to adjust the aspect ratios after the fact. For example, if you've shot an image that you plan to print, but also want to post on Instagram, that's two different ratios that you need to account for. The more ways you distribute your images, the more types of different aspect ratios you must ensure that you consider.
Composing Images in-Camera
When composing your image in-camera, you can base your horizon on your chosen aspect ratios. Most photographers choose to shoot in 3:2, a standard ratio based on 35mm film. But if you're planning to shoot just for social media purposes, choosing 4:5 may work in your favor. Alternatively, some photographers prefer to shoot entirely in 1:1 ratio, so they don't have to adjust their images between print and digital distribution mediums.
Common Photo Aspect Ratios
Let's explore some of the most common photo aspect ratios. These are aspect ratios you would see regularly in print, on your screens, and when you are editing images. These are the typical width and height proportions that photographers tend to use. There are a number of different aspect ratios for different scenarios.
4:5 Aspect Ratios
4:5 aspect ratios are used for 8×10 photos in printing. It's also a common digital aspect ratio because it's Instagram's vertical portrait ratio. 4×5 and 8×10 film cameras use these proportions as well. This is a very common aspect ratio for film photographers to use, and also for some digital photographers who have a heavy presence on the Instagram social media platform.
3:2 Aspect Ratios
The 3:2 aspect ratios started in 35mm film photography. Beyond 35mm film photography, it's still commonly used for print sizes, with 4×6 prints remaining a very common print standard. In digital settings, it's normal to see images framed at 1080×720. This is typically the most popular set of dimensions for photographers to shoot within. It allows for a good amount of room for cropping in post-processing as well if needed.
4:3 Aspect Ratios
4:3 aspect ratios have commonly been used for digital cameras, computer monitors, and TV displays in the past. This ratio will create a print of 8×6 inches or a display of 1024×768.
16:9 Aspect Ratio
16:9 aspect ratio is seen on many widescreen TVs, computer monitors, and smartphones. This slim rectangle will end you up with a 1920×1080 or 1280×720 resolution. While 4:3 used to be the norm for many screens, this ratio has replaced those common proportions.
1:1 Aspect Ratio
The 1:1 aspect ratio is fairly straightforward, meaning the width and height are equal proportions. This is used for any square photo digitally or in print.
Which Aspect Ratio Should You Use?
The aspect ratio that you use for your photos will depend on where you plan to distribute them. Think ahead of time about your overall goals for the image. Are you just planning to post it on social media? If so, which platforms are you planning to post on?
There are lots of elements to consider when it comes to deciding on which aspect ratio is right for you. Look at the different available options for printing and for posting on social media. Look at your main distribution channels, or what your clients will potentially be using the photos for.
You also want to make sure to instruct your clients on aspect ratio if they plan to print your photos. You may find some clients do not understand it and choose a different crop then the photo has for their prints. They may come back to you and be frustrated that the prints do not look like the photos originally did when they saw them on a computer screen.
It is your job to instruct your clients on the best practices for their images when they plan to print or post. You can make a little guide for them when they have received their photos. Potentially, you could put this in a PDF format, or put it onto a webpage on your site. You could also make a blog post to send to them instead for when they are ready to print out their photos.
What are the Best Aspect Ratios for Social Media?
The best aspect ratio for social media depends on where are you plan to post your images. If you have a heavy presence on a particular social media network, perhaps focus your goal ratio for that specific network. Instagram, for example, is a big spot for photographers to share their work. You will want to enure, in that case, that you are adjusting your image sizes to be optimized for that network.
Why Should You Resize Images for Different Social Platforms?
When you are sharing your work on social media, you'll want your photographs to be seen in the best possible way. Each social platform has individual post sizes that you must take into consideration. That way, you won't have your images automatically cropped in ways that don't suit the images.
If you're used to shooting on film cameras, then you'll be used to thinking about different ratios for your images. For digital photography shooters, you may not be as adjusted to thinking about aspect ratio. In either case, when it comes to sharing digitally, you must make sure that your images are in the strongest format to be shared.
To share an image in your Facebook feed, your aspect ratio is flexible at 2:1 or 1:1. This ratio allows you to easily share the same image across multiple platforms as well. You can place images of virtually any aspect ratio on this platform, but for the best appearance in feeds, consider these two crops.
The recommended size for Facebook feed posts is 1200px by 630px. Vertical images will scale in feeds to a maximum ratio of 1:1. Because of this versatile aspect ratio, you can easily share the same images to other social media platforms.
When posting to Twitter, your aspect ratio is going to be 1:1 square, a 2:1 ratio, or a 16:9 image. You have several options when choosing sizes for Twitter, so if you're going to reuse your photo on multiple networks, you have flexibility to re-use those assets across different platforms.
When choosing your size dimensions, the minimum size to appear expanded is 440px by 220px (2:1 ratio). However, the maximum size is 1024px by 512px and the file size must be under 5MB. Twitter compresses images quite heavily, so compressing them ahead of time is your best bet to have your images seen the way they need to be seen.
Instagram uses a 4:5 aspect ratio. You could also do a 1:1 square dimension image for Instagram as well, if you care a lot about how your grade looks on the platform. These two sizes are the best for Instagram. If you post a lot of vertical images, they will usually get a bit more engagement as they tend to fill up your viewer's screen on the platform when they are scrolling.
For digital dimensions, images at 1080px by 1350px will be ideal for the size. Instagram compresses your images when they are uploaded anyway, so giving them this size will work well for that. If you upload images that are really big, they won't compress as well as photos that are already pretty compressed.
Instagram Stories
When you are using Instagram Stories, these use the 16:9 aspect ratio. Instagram Stories take up the majority of the phone screen with this longer format. Wattagio 1 0 2 – manage your macbook battery healthy. If you don't want to severely crop your images, you can also create Instagram Story designs on a separate program to display your photos. Some photographers choose to use sites like Canva to lay out their images on Instagram Stories.
The perfect size dimensions to use on Instagram Stories are 1080px by 1920px. You can also make your image horizontal and prompt your viewers to turn their phone screens. That way, you can have even more of your images seen in the way that they were intended to be seen in the first place.
Pinterest uses a 3:2 aspect ratio for their pins. Previously, they used to use anywhere up to a 16:9 ratio, but they have since changed their pin guidelines. Now, it is best practice is to make your pins a 3:2 aspect ratio. You will not want to post any horizontal pins on your Pinterest feed either, because vertical pins typically stand out much more on Pinterest's feed platform.
For Pinterest size dimensions, the best size to use is 1000px by 1500px. Navicat premium essentials 12 1 19 16. Any 2:3 aspect ratio works well on Pinterest, but 1000px x 1500px is the most optimal size. This will also make for an easy size to use upon upload, and also doesn't take up a ton of space on your hard drive.
Like Facebook and Twitter, you can use a 2:1 aspect ratio on LinkedIn's social sharing platform. This makes it very easy to cross post between Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn for your brand. Not many photographers use this channel for marketing, but you can easily keep putting your content out on this platform for further reach.
For your size dimensions, you can share images at 1104px by 736px. They will appear as 552px by 289px, so compressing your image beforehand will help with the quality it ends up being shared at. Vertical images do not translate well on LinkedIn, so try to stick to a horizontal aspect ratio crop for optimal reach.
TikTok
Razorsql 9 0 0 1. Although you don't necessarily post photos on TikTok, you can include photos in your TikTok videos. The photos that you include in your TikTok posts will have the same size dimensions as your Instagram Stories, and the same aspect ratio at 16:9. Make sure to consider the aspect ratio, just as you would for Instagram, for your photography TikTok content.
Everything You Need to Know About Aspect Ratio
When it comes to aspect ratio, it matters in your photography shooting and editing process. Whether you are a film photographer or a digital photographer, you should know the potential ratios that your cameras are capable of. Many digital cameras these days can adjust the aspect ratio cropping within the cameras.
Remember to Think Ahead About Aspect Ratio
Photodesk 3 2 1 – Instagram Client For Photo Sharing Room
You must consider which aspect ratios you plan to distribute the images with when you begin shooting. This will help you with your long term plans for the imagery. If you only plan on making prints, think about the standard printing sizes you'll have to work within. For branding photographers sharing plenty of images on social media, shooting for a multitude of aspect ratios is always safe.
Thinking About Composition for Your Photography
Whatever the case may be, making sure to keep aspect ratio in mind is crucial. For both aesthetic purposes and technical purposes, always keep the aspect ratio in mind. It may not seem like the most exciting part of being technical with your photography, but it is certainly something that makes a big difference.
Written by MEGAN BREUKELMAN | Photographs by MORGAN CADDELL
Megan Breukelman is a Brooklyn-based photographer, marketer, and host of the Photo Opp Podcast. She aims to eat cupcakes and help photographers build on their passions.
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Photodesk 3 2 1 – Instagram Client For Photo Sharing Video
PhotoDesk lets you view, like, comment, and download Instagram pictures/videos. (NO Uploads! / Image Posting! Instagram forbids that! AND you need an existing Instagram account). But you can do so much more.
Thinking About Composition for Your Photography
Whatever the case may be, making sure to keep aspect ratio in mind is crucial. For both aesthetic purposes and technical purposes, always keep the aspect ratio in mind. It may not seem like the most exciting part of being technical with your photography, but it is certainly something that makes a big difference.
Written by MEGAN BREUKELMAN | Photographs by MORGAN CADDELL
Megan Breukelman is a Brooklyn-based photographer, marketer, and host of the Photo Opp Podcast. She aims to eat cupcakes and help photographers build on their passions.
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Instagram client for photo sharing.
Photodesk 3 2 1 – Instagram Client For Photo Sharing Video
PhotoDesk lets you view, like, comment, and download Instagram pictures/videos. (NO Uploads! / Image Posting! Instagram forbids that! AND you need an existing Instagram account). But you can do so much more.
Of all Mac clients, Photodesk allows you to use the most features of Instagram on your Mac and even exceeds Instagram's functionality:
- Video Support
- See Pictures on a Map
- Search for Places
- Statistics
- Save Images / Videos
- Comment Templates
- Fantastic, modern UI, optimized for OS X 10.10 Yosemite
- Fixed a bug where ordering a print would not allow to enter the address
- Fixed bug where feed view items were cropped
- Fixed a bug where users of OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion could not open the detail view anymore
- Changed it so that when Photodesk is offline, it will detect automatically when the system is online again and go online
- Changed the looks of the selection rectangle to correctly enclose images in all view modes under retina, and non-retina systems
- Fixed a bug where the 'reloading' indicator for comments would never disappear, and comments would never reload.
- Fixed a bug where when closing the window via Apple-W, it was not possible to open the window again
- Changed some internals so that Photodesk consumes less Requests per hour for users who have many favorite friends.
- Fixed a bug where using Finder Tag Sync would cause a crash
- Fixed many small bugs which caused crashes or undefined behaviour in various situations
