Odd print choice and decisions on cropping

I recently had an order placed for a 20x24 inch print. my 5d however does not match up correctly to this aspect ratio and the shot was framed in camera to be used as a complete image not cropped in post.

i now have a dilema, my customer ordered a 20x24 but though the 5d is more than capable of producing an image of this size i would have to begin cropping the image which is not wanted. the image is very nice at 24" tall.

what would you recommend? crop the image or print it at 24" tall. i ask because i already made the decision and will stand by it however i would like to see what you guys would have done.

here is an example to scale of the image and how it prints at 24" tall, leaving the white area unprinted.

which brings me to my next question. what to do with that white space? cut it off leave it on?

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I would think that if you offer a range of aspect ratios, you should leave cropping room in your compositions. I am sure when someone orders a 20x24 print, they want the entire size to be the photo, not blank white filler.

Now you have a dilemma on your hands. I would let the client know how the photo would look at that aspect and let them decide. I would also show them the aspect at those sizes in which the entire photo will fit...give them a choice.

I agree with the above poster -- always leave room for cropping. But too late for that now, huh? Ahaha. Why not explain to the client and ask if they'd rather do a 16x24 so that you retain the same 2:3 aspect ratio?

You have some cropping room right above her head and the dress on the bottom, both things aren't adding enough too important to the picture.

This does happen, and when it does, i usually don't leave any "white" space like you have.

Another option is to do a more "Fine art" display, and encase the picture with white but also have a Signature, Date, a little "plaque" of sorts on the bottom.

I'd grab you an example but i'm sure you get what i mean. Think of it as an Art Piece.

You could also go Borderless.

I always frame in camera as this is what I have been taught and has become part of my shooting style. I refuse to change this about me because the image quality is always higher when framed in this fashion then going back and cropping later.

Is there a size chart for what print sizes are native to the 5d?

I do have a dilema in that I did order the print and it looks great but I don't know if I should cut off the negative space and offer my customer a refund for the balance as I do not believe my lab offers a 16x24 option

I do like the fine art display route but I guess this is another option to present the customer as they will be framing this

Your 5D has an aspect ratio of 2:3. That means that any prints that have the same ratio can be printed without cropping. 2x3, 4x6, 6x9, 8x12, 10x15, 20x30.

You can think of them in terms of fractions if that makes it easier for you (after all, that's what ratios are anyways). 4/6 can be simplified to 2/3 (reduce by a factor of 2).

Hope all this math isn't killing you. Good luck

16x24 is the appropriate size i suppose, but this is not a readily available print size from my lab

I have this problem all the times. You never know what print size your customers would order, depending what frame size they have at home. My solution is simple. You need to know your work flow so well that you can pretty much standardize your post processing techniques. In a way that you can even re-edit and recrop your raw file and to re-produce the same shot with the required aspect ratio in only couple of minutes. There are some photoshop techniques that would enable you to enlarge either the width or the height of the photo in order to fit the required aspect ratio.....

Get a different lab ?

My problem with selling prints was not whether or not i would get them printed? If the lab didn't offer it, i would just trim it down and thats it. I wouldn't mark it down as a 20x24 if i knew i was going to trim it by default though, My real problem was that i didn't/don't want to offer Frames.

And those have standard sizes in your local area. Finding a 13x19 frame was quite difficult locally. So i go by local markets on the sizes, but only offer the Mats to that size, the prints themselfs always go by 2:3 since thats the default ratio, execptions are made in cases where i prefer a different ratio.

Whoever taught you, taught you wrong.

Commercial photography is almost always shot wider. The cover and a double page spread are two entire different things, you never know how an image will be used, you need to shoot for the variety.

The way the shot was framed is neglible, this is the shot they want framed in this fashion but it just does not match up to a standard print size.

If we all shot the same and used the same workflow I don't think that makes it right, I think that would be a tragedy. Up to now I have not had any issues and its still a great shot framed as it is, just a printing snag

You should always shoot with consideration to how the image will be cropped - there is nothing wrong with this and the 5DMk2 will give you plenty of flexibility to shoot loose. If you only want to frame in camera then only offer print sized that you can achieve with a 3:2 ratio.

Personally I think that presenting the image with white borders as you have done looks very bad and is something that I would not do at any cost.

Cropping in top and botton to get the aspect ratio that you need will not seriously impact the key areas of the image in my opinion.

oceanbeast wrote in post #12775936
16x24 is the appropriate size i suppose, but this is not a readily available print size from my lab

You can't deliver a print in that size range, but you also won't change your workflow to allow for cropping to a ratio that is available? Seems like a missed opportunity to me.

Mpix offers all the 2:3 ratio printing services. If you hve the time to wait then that may be something to look into. Also check with local commercial photographers most will have a good source for 2:3 ratio prints.

oceanbeast wrote in post #12775936
16x24 is the appropriate size i suppose, but this is not a readily available print size from my lab

Don't confuse what your lab will print versus what you will deliver. Have your lab print the 24" high by 20" wide and leave the white on the sides. Have them send it to you, and when you get it, you can then trim the white sides off the print with the resulting print being 16X24. This then is what you would deliver to your client. It is easy to get any mounting/framing shop to mount and frame a 16X24 print.

oceanbeast wrote in post #12775097
i now have a dilema, my customer ordered a 20x24.....

what would you recommend? crop the image or print it at 24" tall. i ask because i already made the decision and will stand by it however i would like to see what you guys would have done.

I'd crop it and deliver what the customer wants - a 20x24. If the crop would end up cutting something off, I'd talk to the customer, but in this case the crop would work just fine.