Cropping with 16:9 Aspect Ratio Increases Portrait Sales!

How so? The general media are constantly bombarding consumers with the 16:9 Aspect Ratio. Look around! The "Sixteen-by-Nine" (1.77:1) aspect ratio is making an impact: Cell phones, pocket cameras, home media screens, magazines, internet, etc. Now an established trend, the 16:9 AR is here to stay and is not going away anytime soon. Seniors, brides and young adults have grown visually accustomed to this "wide format." To them it is "so" natural. In just two decades professional photography has gone from aspect ratios of 4:5 to 6:4 to 7:4 in presentation. Yes, this is a big deal! To a senior or bride, a portrait cropped as an 18" x 32" or a 20" x 30" print (in a landscape presentation) is likely more appealing than the traditional 24" x 30" print using conventional cropping. Could a case be made that overall wall portrait sales are in decline because young consumers can no longer visually relate to old style portraiture portrayed using the 4:5 aspect ratio, which some younger photographers have "dubbed" museum style? Ouch! .

When marketing to seniors and brides, hanging display prints in the "16:9 & 6:4" aspect ratios can help boost wall portrait sales. By using artistic cropping techniques you can easily create a whole new art form.

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