How would YOU explain aspect ratios to people?

I often get asked "why did my 5X7/8X10 end up the tops of heads cut off, my 4X6 was fine..." I'm usually pretty good at explaining concepts to people, but have never felt that I could explain this one. I know WHY it happens, but can't explain it well. How would YOU explain it to a 10 year old? Not that I would ever have to do that, but I'm looking for a simple, easy to understand explanation, dumbed down beyond belief. Any interested in this challenge?

In the days of film, it was rather easy to show a negative (the full image) and different aspect ratio prints and then describe the art of cropping. Today you might need to make a full-image print and then one cropped to, say, 4x5 inches to show rather than try to explain the different aspect ratios.

Adding to what Skip said, you can cut out various size templates (frames) -- 5x7 ratio, 8x10 ratio etc -- then lay the template(s) on top of the photo to show what will happen to that image when it's cropped to a different aspect ratio. You could use two different photos -- one with extra real estate beyond subject matter and one with no extra real estate. That way you could show why it's important to frame a bit beyond subject(s) when the image(s) will be used for different size prints.

I have enough trouble trying to understand it, myself...

Aspect ratio, in this context, is simply the ratio of an images length by height.

A crop is a selection of an image.

Think of it as looking at the image through a variety of windows which can be the same shape but different sizes (same aspect ratio), or different shape and different sizes.

Point out that it is like the TV - when you have a 4x3 aspect ratio TV and you watch widescreen TV (16x9) then you have to add the bars on the top and bottom. Likewise when you go from widescreen to 4x3 you have to chop off some of the sides of the widescreen TV to fill the whole 4x3 frame.

Print the image out from this post:

https://photography-on-the.net …php?p=3328480&p​ostcount=4

proportions

It's real simple most 10 year old know there multiplication table right well it's a 2x3 multiplier
2x3
4x6
5x7 (a touch of a lose here)
8x12
your gonna lose 2 inches somewhere on an 8x10 right?

photoshopthis wrote in post #3948957
It's real simple most 10 year old know there multiplication table right well it's a 2x3 multiplier
2x3
4x6
5x7 (a touch of a lose here)
8x12
your gonna lose 2 inches somewhere on an 8x10 right?

I'll tell that to my clients and let you know how many prints I sell.

What I don't get is that you would THINK that if you printed an 8x10 that all would be just peachy, but if- say you then changed that to a 5x7, then seeing how much smaller the 5x7 is (like putting a 5x7 frame onto an 8x10 image) that you would lose the extra inches when cropping it down to 5x7. Just seems to me that the larger the print, that the better off you'd be. I truly have trouble with this, and Everyone seems to understand it so plainly that I hate to keep asking questions on it, but somehow, I just don't seem to get it.

In2Photos wrote in post #3948966
I'll tell that to my clients and let you know how many prints I sell.

What else you gonna say? That's why you as the photographer have to leave room for croping right?

I found a simplistic explanation on the HP site:
http://www.hp.com/uni.​..

A portion of the answer is...

"Have you noticed your digital photos won't fit perfectly into a traditional frame size? Or, maybe you were surprised when the photo lab cropped away a portion of your photo to fit them onto the photo paper. The reason behind this is a difference in aspect ratio between newer digital camera images and photos taken with film.

The relation of the height of your picture to its length is called the aspect ratio. Televisions and computer screens are also often measured in terms of their aspect ratio.


Traditional 35mm photos
Film produces a photo with a 3:2 aspect ratio (a basic rectangle shape). You're probably very familiar with seeing this aspect ratio, since it has been the standard for decades. This is the ratio that 4" x 6" prints are based on (as well as 5" x 7" and 8" x 10" prints).


Digital photos
Today's digital cameras are different from older cameras. Almost all digital cameras (with the exception of digital SLRs) produce an image with a 4:3 aspect ratio (closer to a square). The reason for this is that the first digital cameras were meant exclusively for use with computer screens (most monitors use a 4:3 aspect ratio). That's how they've stayed ever since."

photoshopthis wrote in post #3949674
What else you gonna say? That's why you as the photographer have to leave room for croping right?

I found a simplistic explanation on the HP site:
http://www.hp.com/uni.​..

A portion of the answer is...

"Have you noticed your digital photos won't fit perfectly into a traditional frame size? Or, maybe you were surprised when the photo lab cropped away a portion of your photo to fit them onto the photo paper. The reason behind this is a difference in aspect ratio between newer digital camera images and photos taken with film.

The relation of the height of your picture to its length is called the aspect ratio. Televisions and computer screens are also often measured in terms of their aspect ratio.

Traditional 35mm photos
Film produces a photo with a 3:2 aspect ratio (a basic rectangle shape). You're probably very familiar with seeing this aspect ratio, since it has been the standard for decades. This is the ratio that 4" x 6" prints are based on (as well as 5" x 7" and 8" x 10" prints).

Digital photos
Today's digital cameras are different from older cameras. Almost all digital cameras (with the exception of digital SLRs) produce an image with a 4:3 aspect ratio (closer to a square). The reason for this is that the first digital cameras were meant exclusively for use with computer screens (most monitors use a 4:3 aspect ratio). That's how they've stayed ever since."

I know what I am going to say, but it certainly won't be telling them that it is so easy a ten year old could do it. Do you honestly think someone would buy something from me after I insulted them?

Just don't offer 8x10's. Offer 8x12's.

How about this:

Pay a wood crafter to make you several "Frames" in a 5x7 and 10x12 ratios, (not sizes). Have them sized so they fit a 4x6 (Yes, they will hide some of the 4x6 image.)

When the clients look at the proofs (assuming 4x6 proofs) give them the frames. Tell the clients that these frames simulate the most common size print. Have them lay the frames down on the proofs and have them mark the proofs with a magic marker exactly where they want the crop.

This should get them the final product that they want without having to explain it. If they still want an explanation, avoid the phrase aspect ratio, tell them that the different size prints are also of a different shape. Shape seems to be more easily understood than aspect ratio.

Rad