How Often Do You Crop?

Just out of curiosity, and because I am on hold and dealing with Intuit right now so.... I started thinking back in the day before digital, how photographers like Ansel Adams and others would have cropped an image after shooting it and nowadays if photographers do their best to get the shot on the spot, to avoid cropping or if cropping is a normal post-editing task for you, or a once in a while task when necessary.

I crop a lot, even when I'm not focal length limited. I almost never print larger than 12x18 so shooting a little wide doesn't hurt. Landscape photographers are probably cringing, but that's okay.

It's easier on the family to snap a few photos when traveling or together and continue on than delay the activities to get the perfect shot. There's enough pixels left to get a decent 12 x 18 out of it unless the lens is just too short.

I crop frequently. We are pretty much forced to crop by the fact that very few standard print/frame sizes are 3:2. Off hand, 4"x6" is the only one I can think of. I tend to frame a bit loosely because most shots I print WILL BE cropped.

I try to avoid it as much as possible. Get it right in camera philosophy.

You may have wanted answers from pros only, and owners of pro-level cameras, but if not, here goes. For landscape format, the G15's native ratio (whole sensor) is 4:3. I usually plan to crop to 5:4, which a former regular at POTN recommended as visually more pleasing. I try to frame a scene so that no other cropping will be needed; this is an exercise in learning to see the final image in real life and compose with what's in front of me. If I succeed, I'll take a small slice off one or both sides, totaling 250 pixels, and do nothing else.

Sometimes this isn't possible, or it's possible but I miss something, and I crop more; usually not. And sometimes I want a square image or another shape.

Hi, depends what I'm shooting.

Most of the time my photos are now of my children (1 and 3 years). I rarely crop unless there is something really distracting on the edges or if it's an obviously better photo with a crop. I rarely crop though because when I look around most of my images there is often a toy or a bit of furniture that I think will spark memores in the future. That is what it's all about for me. Same for the few weddings I've photographed.

For landscape photos (which sadly I don't do very often at present) I often crop just a smidge and also straighten horizons.

Given the nature of my photography, mostly macro or birds, cropping is a necessary part of post processing for me.

Thanks so far guys, no this isn't just for the pros I'm looking for the opinions and habits of everyone just out of curiosity.
I myself, crop a lot for most occasions, not so much for landscapes but sometimes. Some of my best shots are taken when I've got my circus in tow and we're either heading somewhere or home and I see a great opportunity which then I normally end up cropping because I didn't really have the precious minutes to pose the shot My circus consists of a nearly 5 year old and my two canines....... so it can get pretty chaotic for me.

Think about this fact... your shooting format is 3:2, and if you make ANY size print other than 4x6, 8x12, etc. you HAVE TO crop the image simply to get it to fit the paper!

• 1.21:1 (14x17")
  
• 1.25:1 (4x5", 8x10", 16x20", 20x24")
  
• 1.27:1 (11x14")
  
• 1.29:1 (letter size, digital printer only)
  
• 1.40:1 (5x7")
  
• 1.46:1 (13x19" digital printer only)
  
• 1.50:1 (4x6", 8x12", 16x24", 20x30")
  

Wilt wrote in post #18225680
Think about this fact... your shooting format is 3:2

Don't upscale cameras let you set the aspect ratio? Mine (G series, prosumer grade) has several choices.

I straighten and crop almost every shot. Shoot loose, crop for composition and aspect ratio in post. A variety of reasons:
- I'm shooting fast (e.g. a live performance/show) and don't have time to carefully compose every shot. If I try to compose precisely, then the performer suddenly moves or jumps, I've cut off an arm or head and the shot is ruined.
- I don't know what aspect ratio I'll need for the final output.
- I'm going to make perspective/distortion​/lens corrections, which sometimes need a LOT of extra buffer around the edges.
- I hold the camera crooked, especially in portrait mode.

OhLook wrote in post #18225687
Don't upscale cameras let you set the aspect ratio? Mine (G series, prosumer grade) has several choices.

Yes, but they achieve this by simply using less of the sensor. The sensor isn't changing its physical shape as you select different aspect ratios.

However, I don't know if they use less of the sensor and make a raw file with a different aspect ratio; or, if the raw file keeps the image from the entire sensor, and only the in-camera JPEG is cropped to the new aspect ratio.

OhLook wrote in post #18225687
Don't upscale cameras let you set the aspect ratio? Mine (G series, prosumer grade) has several choices.

Yes, for example 5DIV does 3:2, 4:3, 16:9, and 1:1. But then what does that benefit you, when your wife asks you to make her:

4x6" and 5x7" and 8x10" and 11x14" prints of the same image to give to friends, relatives, have on the desk, and hanging from the wall?! You HAVE TO crop!
None of the 5DIV alternative shooting formats match the aspect ratios of any of those four print sizes.

I print FF and cut my mats to match usually about 12 X 18 but always in a 2X3 format

airfrogusmc wrote in post #18225701
I print FF and cut my mats to match usually about 12 X 18 but always in a 2X3 format

...and then for THIS particular practice, you have to find a commercial outfit that will print the photo to fit their standard size that works with a matte with 3:2 cutout.
For example, I had a landscape shot which THEY trimmed off the lrft and right from the image on the print. I had to wrestle with them over the phone to print the horizontal portion of the image to fit the long dimension of the 20x30: paper, leaving white space at the top and bottom.
In the end, I had to use postprocessing software to put a white (black area) at the top and bottom of the image with precisely 3:2, and resend them that file in order to get a 11" tall x 30" horizontal image area (2.72:1 aspect).

OhLook wrote in post #18225687
Don't upscale cameras let you set the aspect ratio? Mine (G series, prosumer grade) has several choices.

Wilt wrote in post #18225694
Yes, for example 5DIV does 3:2, 4:3, 16:9, and 1:1. But then what does that benefit you, when your wife asks you to make her:

4x6" and 5x7" and 8x10" and 11x14" prints of the same image to give to friends, relatives, have on the desk, and hanging from the wall?! You HAVE TO crop!
None of the 5DIV alternative shooting formats match the aspect ratios of any of those four print sizes.

When setting the in camera aspect ratio, all that happens is that the camera is auto-magically cropping for you. As Wilt points out, it's better to shoot at the native aspect ratio of the camera and crop yourself later depending on your wife's needs.