Do You Offer Photo Sizes That Require Cropping?

Tom Potter

Hi All,

Do You Offer Photo Sizes That Require Cropping? I am trying to decide if it is better to offer clients numerous print sizes, even if certain sizes may require cropping, or if it is better to simply NOT offer the
sizes that require cropping. I am strongly leaning toward leaving OUT print sizes that require cropping, because I think the average customer, when seeing the cropping tool, will say, "What the HECK is THIS all about"?!

Can you please share your thoughts on this?

Thank You,

denisegoldberg

I do offer photo sizes that require cropping because I have photos from different cameras in my galleries. Most of the photos are from a dSLR but there are some older shots that are from a point-and-shoot camera and there are also some phone shots in my galleries. Oh, and sometimes I crop images as well.

If all of my images were a standard size from one camera (format) then I would likely limit the sizes to that format.

I think the new shopping cart in smugmug is a simpler interface that viewers will find easier to use.

--- Denise

Tom Potter

denisegoldberg wrote: »

I do offer photo sizes that require cropping because I have photos from different cameras in my galleries. Most of the photos are from a dSLR but there are some older shots that are from a point-and-shoot camera and there are also some phone shots in my galleries. Oh, and sometimes I crop images as well.

If all of my images were a standard size from one camera (format) then I would likely limit the sizes to that format.

I think the new shopping cart in smugmug is a simpler interface that viewers will find easier to use.

--- Denise

Denise,


Thank you SO much for sharing that great info. I am now in the process of removing sizes that require cropping. I believe it would avoid confusion and a hassle for my buyers. Happy Holidays!! :O)

jonh68

Yo can also proof the gallery and look at the customer crops before the order is sent to the printer. You can crop it yourself or if needs some tweaking then just replace the picture for that particular crop.

Tom Potter

jonh68 wrote: »

Yo can also proof the gallery and look at the customer crops before the order is sent to the printer. You can crop it yourself or if needs some tweaking then just replace the picture for that particular crop.

Thank you John! I have a follow-up. How do you deal with the possibility someone will mat their framed image? When I shoot a scene, I can include some extra around the entire image - that portion being hidden by the mat. However, if I do that, and a person does not mat, then, they will HAVE to crop out that extra, undesired portion of the scene, correct? I'm thinking in that case, I would have to crop. However, I am going to offer only sizes that do not require cropping. The overall issue I am driving at here, is that I do NOT want a buyer to have to deal with any cropping. Therefore, as I understand it, the way to achieve that, is for me to offer only sizes that do not require cropping. BUT, if I do that, I run into the issue of a mat covering an essential part of an image, correct?? What is the best solution, wherein I offer only images that do NOT require cropping?

denisegoldberg

Tom Potter wrote: »

...How do you deal with the possibility someone will mat their framed image? When I shoot a scene, I can include some extra around the entire image - that portion being hidden by the mat. However, if I do that, and a person does not mat, then, they will HAVE to crop out that extra, undesired portion of the scene, correct? I'm thinking in that case, I would have to crop. However, I am going to offer only sizes that do not require cropping.

I don't believe you can have it both ways. Let's say I want an 8x12 print and I want it printed on metal. That means I don't need any extra around the image. But maybe I want an 8x12 print on paper to mat and frame. I want 8x12 showing - so I would need to buy a slightly larger print. Same photo, same viewing size, different photo sizes.

I just took a look at a couple of galleries on your site and it appears that the sizes you have chosen to offer don't match the images. For example, I was looking at Wall Art for this - http://galleries.tompotterphotography.com/Public-Galleries/Rocky-Mountain-National-1/i-t2B269f/A. No matter what I select, the image will be cropped. You have chosen to offer only 11x14 sizes for the wall art. That image doesn't fit the dimensions of 11x14.

If I look at paper prints for the same image you are offering 8x12 and 11x14. 8x12 is the proper aspect ratio, 11x14 is not. The next sizes in the aspect ration of that photo are 10x15, then 12x18.

--- Denise

Tom Potter

denisegoldberg wrote: »

I don't believe you can have it both ways. Let's say I want an 8x12 print and I want it printed on metal. That means I don't need any extra around the image. But maybe I want an 8x12 print on paper to mat and frame. I want 8x12 showing - so I would need to buy a slightly larger print. Same photo, same viewing size, different photo sizes.

I just took a look at a couple of galleries on your site and it appears that the sizes you have chosen to offer don't match the images. For example, I was looking at Wall Art for this - http://galleries.tompotterphotography.com/Public-Galleries/Rocky-Mountain-National-1/i-t2B269f/A. No matter what I select, the image will be cropped. You have chosen to offer only 11x14 sizes for the wall art. That image doesn't fit the dimensions of 11x14.

If I look at paper prints for the same image you are offering 8x12 and 11x14. 8x12 is the proper aspect ratio, 11x14 is not. The next sizes in the aspect ration of that photo are 10x15, then 12x18.

--- Denise

So far, I have only specific print sizes available for only a very few of the images. I am sure the ones you looked at, I have not yet touched. In regard to your 8 x 12 example, what is the answer / solution?

denisegoldberg

Tom Potter wrote: »

So far, I have only specific print sizes available for only a very few of the images. I am sure the ones you looked at, I have not yet touched. In regard to your 8 x 12 example, what is the answer / solution?

For the photo that I linked above, an 8x12 matches the aspect ratio. An 11x14 does not. Why are you offering an 11x14 if you don't want to allow cropping?

Are you really setting prices at the photo level? I would apply a price list to the entire set of photos, then if I had some galleries that contain photos that better fit odd sizes I would create a price list for that gallery.

--- Denise

Tom Potter

denisegoldberg wrote: »

For the photo that I linked above, an 8x12 matches the aspect ratio. An 11x14 does not. Why are you offering an 11x14 if you don't want to allow cropping?

Are you really setting prices at the photo level? I would apply a price list to the entire set of photos, then if I had some galleries that contain photos that better fit odd sizes I would create a price list for that gallery.

--- Denise

Hi Denise - Sorry, I guess I was not clear on my previous. What I meant to say was that so far, I have removed print sizes with an undesired aspect ratio only for a very few of my prints. I have NOT adjusted the vast majority yet. Can you please give me specific details on what you mean by "I would apply a price list to the entire set of photos"? - Thanks, Tom

denisegoldberg

Tom Potter wrote: »

Hi Denise - Sorry, I guess I was not clear on my previous. What I meant to say was that so far, I have removed print sizes with an undesired aspect ratio only for a very few of my prints. I have NOT adjusted the vast majority yet. Can you please give me specific details on what you mean by "I would apply a price list to the entire set of photos"? - Thanks, Tom

I apply my price lists to galleries. I occasionally apply a price list to a photo - usually if the photo was taken somewhere that does not allow me to sell the image.

See the section "Apply Your Pricing to Galleries and Photos" on this help page - http://help.smugmug.com/customer/portal/articles/93345-how-do-i-price-photos-in-order-to-sell-them-.

--- Denise