What aspect ratio should I use for a widescreen photo?
Asked 11/16/2016
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I often crop 4:3 photos to make them look wider, but I’m not sure what aspect ratio counts as a standard “widescreen” image. Is there a general rule for widescreen photos, especially if they’ll be viewed on TVs or computer monitors?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
9y ago
2 Answers
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There is no "standard" picture aspect ratio in photography, only some common ones. 35 mm frames are 3:2. Old TV was 4:3. HDTV is 16:9.
The way to pick the aspect ratio is to consider what the picture will be displayed on. If it will mostly be seen on a TV, then 16:9 is a obvious choice. If you will make a poster and hang it on a wall, then you can chose pretty much whatever you think is best for the picture.
Also, when converting pictures between aspect ratios, "randomly" cropping some height or width to get to the new aspect ratio is not a good strategy. Each picture is unique.
Some simply won't work as intended when cropped. In those cases, adding black (or whatever is background in your context) is better than cutting away the other dimension. Most of the time you can crop, but you should consider carefully what to crop out. Equal amounts top and bottom to make a wider aspect ratio, for example, is rarely the best answer.
Originally by user7603. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user7603
9y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
There isn’t one universal “widescreen” photo ratio. The right aspect ratio depends on where the image will be shown.
Common ratios include:
- 4:3 for older TVs and many compact cameras
- 3:2 for 35mm/full-frame photography
- 16:9 for HDTV and most modern video displays
- 16:10 for some computer monitors
- 1.85:1 or 2.39:1 for some cinema formats
If your photo is mainly for a modern TV, 16:9 is the most common widescreen choice. For general photography, there’s no rule that says a photo must be widescreen at all.
When converting from 4:3 to a wider format, don’t crop randomly. Crop based on the composition of each image. Some photos work well with a wide crop; others don’t. If cropping removes important parts of the scene, it may be better to keep the original ratio and accept borders or background padding instead.
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