Aspect Ratio

[Timmulligan]

There has been much discussion regarding DPI and resolution. irusan spelled out the best step by step workflow I could hope for; however, I am still stumped on aspect ratio. If the standard photo is 3:2 why doesn't mypublisher consider that factor? Most all of my photos are cropped and don't fit the templates. I know this has been discussed but I couldn't find the answer. I would expect if my photograph is not shaped for the frame mypublisher would shrink it so nothing is lost. Instead, it crops most of the photo out?

[irusan]

Thanks for the kind words!

As to why the templates don't account for the standard 3:2 ratio of SLR cameras, that's something that MyPublisher can only answer.

That being said...

Not everything in photography uses the 3:2 aspect ratio of SLR cameras (digital or film). For example, have you noticed that the 3:2 ratio makes for a print that is 8x12, but most frames are 8x10? The smaller prints that are 4x6 use this ratio, but most people opt for the "larger" print size of 5x7 which is NOT 3:2?

Basically, just because the SLR cameras shoot at 3:2, that's only one type of camera. Point and shoot cameras shoot at an image size of 640x480 (a 3:4 ratio). Medium format cameras (preferred by professional portrait and landscape photographers) have a 4:5 ratio (hence the 8x10 frames, btw).

BookMaker will bring your photo in at a size that will print well, but as you noticed, it is often larger than the frame. You can shrink the size of the image so that the entire image appears in the frame.

Cheers,

Rob

[Timmulligan]

I think I get it - Aspect ratio is all over the board so the only fix is to have the ability to adjust the frame. I do a lot of macro shots so I expect most of my photos will be better off smaller than the frame vs. cutting off the image.

[irusan]

That's really more of an artistic choice/decision that only you can make but I would tend to agree with you on that.

There's something really compelling about a smaller image on a large page by itself. I'd share my book but, currently, I can't access it yet.

Cheers

Rob