Below is a clear example of Aspect Ratios in Photography which could be very useful.
1:1 – Square format
The square format can often be used to simplify an image and give your subject
a striking presence at the centre of the frame.
By keeping the width equal to the height, the way in which we read the
photograph changes, as there is less of a need to move from left to right through
the frame.
The square format also offers a good opportunity to break the rules we so often
follow; place the horizon along the centre of the image or place a subject in the
centre of the frame, and the composition may only get stronger.
You’ll often see a 1:1 aspect ratio used to emphasise minimalism. Just keep it simple
4:3 – Four thirds format
This format is the default aspect ratio of cameras that use Four Thirds sensors.
An image with a 4:3 aspect ratio is wider than it is tall, meaning that the eye
naturally wants to move left to right through the image. However, given that the
image is still fairly tall in relation to the width, this ratio is perfect for drawing the
eye into the scene through leading lines.
The relative height of a 4:3 image encourages the use of wide-angle focal
lengths to capture the depth of a scene, without including excess details at the
edge of the frame
6:4 – 35mm format (also called 3:2)
This is the default aspect ratio for 35mm film, and therefore for full-frame and
APS-C sensors used in most Nikon and Canon cameras.
With a 6:4 image, the width is significantly wider than the height. This
encourages viewing the image from left to right, meaning diagonal leading
lines can work quite well.
A limitation of this aspect ratio is that the height is that much shorter in relation to
the width. So capturing foreground detail using a wide-angle lens becomes more
difficult due to the limited vertical space with which you can work. A 6:4 aspect
ratio can even cause the subjects within the frame to become too disparate and
therefore lose impact.
The 6:4 ratio can, however, be suited to capturing scenes where there is little to
no foreground interest, especially if you’re using midrange focal lengths
(e.g., 35mm).
Portrait Mode
For a landscape to work, you need to balance the composition throughout the
frame, and aspect ratios such as 6:4 make that very difficult, due to the image
being too tall relative to its width.
For “portrait” landscapes to work, fatter rectangles, such as 4:3, 7:6, or 5:4, are
ideal. In fact, 5:4 is heavily used by professional landscape photographers with
medium and large format cameras. This aspect ratio allows the eye to be taken
through the image from left to right, without having an excess amount of sky
knocking the frame
More on this can be found on the Digital Photography School website link fount on
our links page