Cropping and aspect ratios?

[Valerie S]

I've been going through a lot of posts in this forum and the subject or issue of cropping comes up a lot in critiqing.

I know Rene likes to use a 2:3 ratio when cropping - what about other people? I usually go for 8x10 about 70% of the time, 5x7 for 20% of the time and the rest are purely aesthetic. I've gotten bitten once or twice when people have printed my stuff. Pros in other areas of photography have told me that they usually keep to the common print sizes too.

Thoughts?


Thanks,
Valerie

[-MasterChief-]

it really depends on what your customers want. as a rule of thumb, it is usually a good practice to stay with the common print sizes. however, if youre going for the "storybook" look, creativity goes a loooooong way in cropping your pictures.

[dpurslow]

I generally use the 2:3 ratio unless I cant get what I want then I go for the 8x10 crop. I also try to crop in camera rather than in PS but I generally allow a little deadspace around just incase I dont see something or someone wants an odd size like a 4.5 5 etc.