Are there research papers or books on how image aspect ratio affects viewer perception?
Asked 6/1/2016
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2 answers
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I'm looking for credible research or educational resources on how an image's aspect ratio influences perception in photography. I'm especially interested in theory that could inform creative decisions when choosing a format while shooting or when cropping in post.
I haven't found much through general searches because “aspect ratio” is used in many different fields. Are there any relevant papers, books, or courses specifically about photographic or visual perception of aspect ratio?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
10y ago
2 Answers
1
There simply isn't enough research and conclusions to draw any relevant results for "end users" in this case Photographers. Some research on the subject though as requested:
But really you'd be better off with less scientific stuff most likely such as this: The Effect of Choosing and Changing Aspect Ratios in Film.
You'd likely get better and more useful information by contacting the author of one of these documents, a professor of cognitive science, or asking on CogSci.Stackexchange
Originally by user27243. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user27243
10y ago
0
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There does not appear to be a large body of practical, photographer-focused research with strong conclusions on this topic. The available material seems limited and more academic than directly useful for day-to-day image-making.
A few research papers mentioned by the community are:
- “Effects of Aspect-ratio and Size of Photographs upon the Depth Impression and the Depth Perception on their Scenes”
- “Effects of aspect-ratios and sizes of both photographic images and their surrounding frames on the evaluation of their Kansei-impressions”
For a more accessible treatment, a film-oriented resource suggested was:
- “The Effect of Choosing and Changing Aspect Ratios in Film”
If you want deeper guidance, your best next step may be to contact the authors of those papers, ask a cognitive science expert, or post in a cognitive science community. In short: some relevant research exists, but there may not be enough established evidence yet to give photographers broadly applicable rules.
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