All About Aspect Ratio for Images, Photos, and Videos

What is an Aspect Ratio?

In simple terms, the aspect ratio describes the shape of an image. It describes the proportional relationship between an image’s width and height. Aspect ratios are written as a formula of width to height, like this: 4:5.

For example, an image with an aspect ratio of 1:1 is a square. It doesn’t matter if that image is 10” by 10” when printed of 200 pixels by 200 pixels on a screen, the ratio remains the same. It truly doesn’t matter what unit of measurement you’re using to measure your image, as long as using the same units for width and height, the ratio will be unchanged.

Different cameras shoot in different aspect ratios, so whether you’re using a digital camera, a 35mm film camera, or a smartphone, they can all vary. Understanding the image size and ratio is important because it affects how you compose your shot and what the print size will be. It’s also important when thinking about website design and how you use your images within a project.

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Why is an Aspect Ratio Important?

Whether you’re a photographer or a graphic designer, a solid understanding of aspect ratio can help you use and create images effectively.

• Technical reasons. Aspect ratios are a crucial part of web content because images need to be uploaded at different aspect ratios for different uses, like desktop versus mobile. When you use the right aspect ratios, it ensures your images or videos are displayed as intended without stretching or loss of resolution. Having an incorrect aspect ratio for your project can negatively affect the end-user experience. If you’re a photographer who is printing your work, and the aspect ratio of the prints doesn’t match the ratio of the shot, your work won’t look as you intended. Your image may appear overly cropped or stretched out to fit its new constraints.
• Aesthetic reasons. Changing the aspect ratio of your photo will impact where your subject is positioned within the frame. If you’ve framed your image so that an important feature is positioned near the edge, that feature could be lost entirely if the wrong ratio is used in printing. Photographers may use different aspect ratios to show off expansive landscapes or convey feelings of loneliness or claustrophobia. An understand of aspect ratio can help a photographer or designer hone their craft by cropping an image creatively.

Common Aspect Ratios in Photography

There are a lot of aspect ratios in common use today because each aspect ratio has a specific use. The ratio you use may depend on the type of camera you’re using or what your intents for the image are. These are some of the more common aspect ratios, as well as how they may be used.

1:1

This is simply a square, and while you may be most familiar with this ratio as a result of using a popular photo sharing social media app, it’s a commonly used ratio for images on the internet. There are a few medium format cameras that used to offer this aspect ratio, you may have seen some 1:1 prints from the 1960s.

3:2

This is an incredibly common aspect ratio that’s used in film, digital, and smartphone cameras. It’s great for shooting still images as well as videos. It corresponds to a classic 4×6 photo, which is the default for a 35mm camera. This ratio allows for enough room for cropping in post-production if necessary.

4:3

Think of the old-school televisions and computer monitors you grew up with. Before the high-definition flat screens became available, this was the aspect ratio for computer displays and broadcast television. Today, it’s primarily used for artistic purposes and can be used for mimicking that older style of filmmaking.

16:9

In the era of flat screen TVs and curved monitors, this has become the standard aspect ratio for these kinds of displays. It’s become the norm for online videos, TV shows, made-for-TV movies, and other content that won’t be shown in a traditional movie theater.

2.35:1

This ratio is known as CinemaScope and is used to make films shown in movie theaters and on large screens. Its extra wide panoramic ratio differs from the ratio of a computer screen, which is why things always look a little different when you watch a movie intended for a movie theater on your laptop. You may notice that these films are frequently letterboxed, which helps to fill the space with black bars when the filmed content has a wider aspect ratio than the display.

Most digital cameras let you choose your aspect ratio before you take the photo. Smartphones typically give you the option to change the aspect ratio. You can crop your images to any size or choose a pre-existing aspect ratio that suits your purposes.

Understanding aspect ratios in photography and design offers a lot of opportunities for creativity and different ways to present content.