Video screens fall into two pretty distinct categories in terms of aspect ratio: Cinema or movie screens and television or desktop computer screens. The shape is quite different for modern video screens, whereas historically still and moving images were based on similar aspect ratios. Aspect Ratio and VideoĪspect ratios in video are very much like still photography. Using a standard shape implies harmony and balance while a nonstandard shape can be dramatic and exciting. It has a sense of drama and excitement a “normal” shape does not. Outside of professional photographers, designers and artists, few people crop a photo to something other than one of the common aspect ratios.īut why crop outside a common ratio at all? To create dramatic visual interest. But the concept still works and there are still a handful of sizes that are most commonly used. That is a little more complicated these days with more options for digital manipulation. Traditionally, this common formula resulted in camera sensors and printing practices for photos that mesh, making it super easy for the average person to take and print images. Traditionally, photographs were commonly taken with an aspect ratio of 3:2 because prints were made in sizes of 3 inches by 2 inches, 6 inches by 4 inches and so on. Posting photos to Instagram, for example, only allows images with a 1:1 ratio (square).

The aspect ratio is determined by constraints of the medium. Even your iPhone camera allows you to select a specific aspect ratio before you snap a photo, and then you can change the aspect ratio in cropping.Īspect ratios in photography are often linked to how a photo will be used. One of the places it can be easiest to see and explain aspect ratios is in photography.

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