What size images?

[wommby]

Hi Every one,

Am thinking of eventually starting a web site for the landscape, seascape photography that I mainly do. I have no idea while editing what size I should edit the image at. I am not really into panoramas and wonder if other photographers use the 4:5 ratio or 3:6 ratio for saleable images.

I am thinking that I would have to edit at the size ratio that I want to sell them at otherwise they would look different in other sizes.

What do other professionals do for this?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions etc.

[Polar01]

Try this what are the common standard size of picture frames? All other sizes are custom. Another wrinkle are they going to be printed on canvas, then no frame. How much of a border are you going to have around each image as this affects the size of both the frame and print. Say a 18" x 24" frame with a 3" border all around would make your print be at least 12.25"x 18.75". There is more to selling photographs than meets the eye.

Cheers: Allan

[Stagecoach]

Debbie, I doubt very much that you are going to get a simple answer, as Allan suggests, here as there will just be too many options.

The only suggestion I would make is have a look at other websites where 'professionals' sell similar work to what you intend to produce, you may find there's a common trend.

Grahame

[pnodrog]

Never sacrifice the best composition for the sake of a standard crop ratio.

[IzzieK]

+10 to LPaul's advice....

[Kodiak]

Never sacrifice the best composition for the sake of a standard crop ratio.

The best composition IS your crop ratio!

[wommby]

Thanks to all for your apinions. I guess after editing and making sure the composition is the best then you would advertise what size the image is. I see on some websites you can choose a number of different sizes but my thoughts are that some compositions won't work with some sizes, so I guess it is a matter of stipulating the sizes available for each image.

[jcuknz]

Debbie the frame size is less a problem than you might think as if the image format doesn't match the frame size then you can organise a 'matt' to cover the difference .... when I was making prints I standardised on a 20x16 inch mounting board and arranged my images appropriately withing that size [ usually what could be obtained using A3 paper. ]

[carolus]

Hi Every one,

Am thinking of eventually starting a web site for the landscape, seascape photography that I mainly do. I have no idea while editing what size I should edit the image at.

Hello, I don't print and I don't sell images but I do have a website and have in the past sold stuff on-line. It is best to decide up front whether or not to show the image full-size (likely not) or show a down-sampled image perhaps with a watermark on it. The image becomes the link which, when clicked on, shows a better image but, of course, not THE image! THE image is whatever size it currently is and processed ready for printing and mailing. So you end up three separate images, each processed according to it's use.

As to whether you need two sample images, that will depend on your choice of web page layout. Bear in mind that not everyone has wide-screen monitors. Mine is 1280x1024px, for example, and I would be unimpressed if your larger sample was 1920x1080px!

I am not really into panoramas and wonder if other photographers use the 4:5 ratio or 3:6 ratio for saleable images.

Already covered previous posts in this thread.

Will you being selling prints? If so, better to think of them as prints, rather than "saleable images".

I am thinking that I would have to edit at the [aspect] ratio that I want to sell them at otherwise they would look different in other sizes.

Correct, if I understand you correctly ;-)

Chas.

[NorthernFocus]

...I guess after editing and making sure the composition is the best then you would advertise what size the image is. I see on some websites you can choose a number of different sizes but my thoughts are that some compositions won't work with some sizes, so I guess it is a matter of stipulating the sizes available for each image.

Exactly so. What I typically do is edit the photo to the printable version then make a downsized copy as a web resolution "proof". For display sizing I pick sizes such that the whole image will fit on the screen without a person having to scroll to see it all. The exact size will depend on how your site displays the images. Keep in mind nowadays many people will be viewing on an iPad type device.

If you pick a web service worth having, it should allow you to specify what image sizes and formats you want to sell on an image by image basis.

[revi]

Thanks to all for your apinions. I guess after editing and making sure the composition is the best then you would advertise what size the image is. I see on some websites you can choose a number of different sizes but my thoughts are that some compositions won't work with some sizes, so I guess it is a matter of stipulating the sizes available for each image.

For me there is a distinction between the aspect ratio (or crop ratio, i.e. the ratio between width and height) of your image and the size of the final print: even if you offer several sizes on your website, the aspect ratio will stay the same (e.g. 20×30 cm, 30×45, 40×60 prints have different sizes, but the same aspect ratio of 2:3).

One thing that comes into play for the final size someone wants is the place where the image is going to be displayed: large images should in general be viewed from a larger distance: you don't use the same size for a big hall as for a small office or corridor.

[Saorsa]

I absolutely agree with the others that you should crop to suit your vision of what the picture should be. That establishes the aspect ratio which is independent of size. The next issue that you need to face is canvas size which is a term for the size of paper or other surface you will have the print made on. That will drive the cost of production.

To be honest with your clients you would phrase the size as 9x4 image printed centered on 8x10 stock, for example.