3:2 is our normal aspect ratio
When you zoom-in on a photograph on our site, you are viewing the native photograph in its default aspect ratio; that is, the full size of the image that the camera generates. All of the photographs on our site are taken with digital cameras. The default native aspect ratio for most digital cameras is 3:2. While we sometimes change the default aspect ratio, when appropriate for the subject matters, most of the time we stick with the 3:2 aspect ratio.
A Common and Popular Aspect Ratio
When you order a print in a size such as 8x10, 16x10, or 24x30, you're ordering a print in the 4:5 aspect ratio. When printing in an aspect ratio that is different from the photo's native aspect ratio, we crop the photograph to match the desired aspect ratio. This results in portions of the original photograph being cut-off.
When cropping, we try to remove areas of the photograph that are “white space” or not critical to the subject matter. This example shows how we might crop a photograph to fit a 4:5 aspect ratio. The darker areas indicate what would be cropped-out.
Print Sizes 10x14, 15x21, and 20x28 are all 5:7 Aspect Ratio
Likewise when you order a print in the 5:7 aspect ratio, we crop the original photograph to match the 5:7 aspect ratio. This image shows how we might crop a photograph to fit a 5:7 aspect ratio. The darker areas of the image indicate what portions of the photograph we’d crop.
Another Common Ratio
A common Aspect Ratio for 4K Televisions
Many people are familiar with the 16:9 aspect ratio as it is commonly used by 4K televisions. This image shows how we might crop a photograph to fit a 16:9 aspect ratio. The darker areas of the image indicate what portions of the photograph we’d crop.