My media company would like for me to keep the camera's 3:2 ratio if I am to do any cropping, but I'm not quite sure how to set that up in Photoshop CS3 or Lightroom 2. Anyone know how to do that?
I mean, if I'm going to crop something down to 800px x 600px, I have no problem doing that and that ends up being the 3:2 ratio that would come out of the camera (if you sized down an original shot). However, if I wanted to do a "free crop" (just dragging the crop tool), but keep a 3:2 ratio dimension, how would you go about doing that? Is it even possible?
Select CTRL + A (select all) then select CTRL + T (Transform). (with your image open of course).
Hold your shift key and drag the corners only with your cursor to maintain the correct perspective.
Drag the image to the size/crop you want while maintaining the standard aspect. You'll see the image boundary box move about but you will only be able to the proportion of the image within the original image boundary.
Double click when your happy with your crop to accept and deselect the image.
Then resize (ALT + CTRL + I) the image to your required/desired size.
Type in either your width or height only while ensuring the contstrain proportions box is checked.
You don't change the original aspect ratio as all cropping is done whithin the image boundaries.
With the size and resolution boxes empty (cleared) start outside the upper left corner and drag crop tool over entire image. This step sets the crop to the image proportions.
Then hold down SHIFT and drag any corner point inward. The crop will keep the same proportions, using the opposite corner as the anchor. Use the left mouse button to move crop around.
To use the center cross as the anchor point hold down ALT/OPT + SHIFT before dragging the corner point.
The center point can be moved before reducing the crop and the crop will in move around it. For example: say you shoot wide in the camera and need to trim the sides but you want the head in same spot in the frame after the crop. Pull the crop over the entire frame, move the center point to between the eyes, then press ALT/OPT + SHIFT before dragging in the corner point.
If you decide it needs to be larger / smaller after moving hold down SHIFT again and drag a corner.
Just always hold down SHIFT to constrain proportions and ALT/OPT+SHIFT to constrain proportions around the + center point indicator
SouthBayPhoto_ wrote:
if I wanted to do a "free crop" (just dragging the crop tool), but keep a 3:2 ratio dimension, how would you go about doing that? Is it even possible?
Instead of 3/2 inches, you could use 6/4, 9/6, 12/8, etc. Any dimensions in inches that reduce to 3/2.
Leave resolution blank unless you know in advance that you must have a specific resolution, like 240 ppi. In that case, set the resolution value as well as actual print dimensions in inches.
Peano2 - thanks a bunch. I just found that as well. As long as you leave the resolution spot blank, it won't resample the photo itself. However, if you need to change the resolution back to say 300 ppi, then you can go back into Image/Image Size and change it, but just make sure to UNCHECK the "resample" checkbox. I've tried this a couple of times already and it seems to work perfectly and is pretty easy. :-)
Thanks all for your info! It really is appreciated. :-D I love this forum!
SouthBayPhoto_ wrote:
Peano2 - thanks a bunch. I just found that as well. As long as you leave the resolution spot blank, it won't resample the photo itself. However, if you need to change the resolution back to say 300 ppi, then you can go back into Image/Image Size and change it, but just make sure to UNCHECK the "resample" checkbox. I've tried this a couple of times already and it seems to work perfectly and is pretty easy. :-)
Thanks all for your info! It really is appreciated. :-D I love this forum!
Don't generally use this box to change resolution. Normally leave it blank and then use the Image --> Image Size --> dialog to make final "real" adjustments to size and resolution as needed.
