Someone that is more articulate than I needs to add it to the Feature Request List here: http://feedback.smugmug.com/forums/17723-smugmug and get the voting started...

Setting a print delay is no way to handle this...it can cause lost clients quickly....

Originally Posted by Art Scott Setting a print delay is no way to handle this...it can cause lost clients quickly....

I agree 100% with you, what's the meaning to allow clients to crop just to deny that permission later?
If a client wanted to purchase a cropped version of the image, he is likely going to refuse the correction we make.
It's definetely a wrong and poorly professional way to handle a sale.....

Originally Posted by Art Scott Someone that is more articulate than I need to add it to the Feature Request List here: http://feedback.smugmug.com/forums/17723-smugmug and get the voting started..

You're right, there's already a poll about this issue started here, please all of you that agree with this request can support it by giving a vote (or even 3!!!)

Originally Posted by fabthi ...why not this reasonable one Andy and Denise?

Just to clarify - I don't work for SmugMug; I'm a customer just like you are.

--- Denise

Originally Posted by fabthi ... why not this reasonable one Andy and Denise?

Originally Posted by denisegoldberg Just to clarify - I don't work for SmugMug; I'm a customer just like you are. --- Denise

Andy is leaving Smugmug...he has not stated when, just that he is leaving.......and I do believe his son is getting married today..........

As for Andy, I didn't know he is leaving SmugMug; and about Denise I didn't know she is not part of SmugMug staff but, that said, my reference to them (" why not this reasonable one Andy and Denise?") is mostly due to the fact that they seem to advocate the opportunity to allow a cropping option for customers.

I understood your reasoning with the above question.....i was just letting you know that Andy
was leaving and had a wedding today ( see this thread - http://tinyurl.com/cfuupq7 )....other support people really ought to be chiming in about this hopefully.

Originally Posted by Art Scott I understood your reasoning with the above question.....i was just letting you know that Andy was leaving and had a wedding today ( see this thread - http://tinyurl.com/cfuupq7 )

Thanks Art

Originally Posted by Art Scott ....other support people really ought to be chiming in about this hopefully.

I do hope too however it doesn't really seem a priority issue

I do not like allowing the customer to crop my images...quite unprofessional, imho.

I do not actually "crop" any of my images. I create (edit) my images to fit a certain aspect ratio.

Explanation...

If my subject doesn't fit a certain size, I will sometimes "stretch" the entire image a bit with the transform tool. It doesn't matter if the tree or waterfall is a bit wider than it actually is...and I explain this on my website...

"(My goal is to) create a work of art that will look good on the wall of ANY home or business. This usually involves adapting of the images to fit several different types and sizes of media. So many of the images have been cropped or stretched just a bit in order to fit pleasingly on an 11×14, 16×20, gallery wrap, or other sizes offered for purchase."

So...if I upload a "pleasing" image for my catalog...then they try to crop this image...they may find that they cannot get all of the tree or waterfall inside the crop area of the size they have chosen. This makes the purchase quite misleading and complicated.

I hope my explanation was not "complicated"...just my two cents worth. I used smugmug a while back as a "pro-account", but didn't quite like some of the functions. I am possibly returning to smugmug and hope it will better fit my needs this time. As for this "mandated cropping" flaw, I may just add a line of text somewhere that will let the customer know that they need not crop their image...as it is just in the system and can't be removed.

My best!

I don't consider it unprofessional or unreasonable to allow a customer to give me an idea of how they might want an image cropped. Mostly when they order via my shopping cart, they don't crop it at all, and it is only via print delay that I have the control of the final crop.

In such case that a customer gives me cropping instructions, I will take a look at it an at least decide if I agree with in. Some instances are special, such as perhaps grandma is on the fence in the background, outside of the limits of where I might normally crop. I would call the customer to find out what they were thinking.

I don't put cropped proofs on line unless it is a piece of fine art that I have spent hours on. In that case I would also disable cropping, and only allow the aspect ratio that I put there..