I've been going in circles on cropping issues...not just here but in my work at my desk. My sensor is 3:2, plan on going full frame 4:3 soon. Neither match 8x10 (I don't think?) Hardly any of the print sizes scale up uniformly 4x6 would scale to 8x12, 5x7 would scale to 10x14 etc. There are just no standards. Yes some crops work a little better than others but pricing is a bear (if you clean up what's available in your price list) but I'm just looking for some continuity. No matter what I try to decide I seem to hit a brick wall one place or another. What would you use or reccomend for a standard, profesionally, if you had to choose one crop ratio, and why. Does one crop seem to work the best for you?

Hope I'm not opening a can of worms here...but I want to try to at least standardize my workflow to some degree.

Thank you all for your time.

To me, the real issue isn't so much the crop size to choose, but rather, to discipline yourself to crop loosely enough that the image can be used in a variety of different aspect ratios, for a variety of different purposes and situations.

I'm sure some art photographers and control freaks will disagree -- they prefer to control every aspect of the presentation of their work.

But in many types of editorial and advertising photography, we are taught to crop loosely so that the image usage is more flexible.

Paul 

 Sounds like good advice Paul...

I've wrestled with this in the past (with both aspect ratios than you mention), so I feel your pain.  

I use bordering to fill in the destination ratio, and have standardized generally on the 2:3 ratio for prints because it allows the most different scales, i.e., 4x6", 8x12", 10x15", 12x18", 16x24" (my personal favorite for my own work), and even 20x30" (when I've got the pixels/clarity to deliver it).  

For me, this scheme is best for portrait-rather-than-landscape orientations, and requires "more border" to the bottom dimension, which usefully "lifts" the composition in the frame.   

For landscape orientations, I generally bordered to use the 4x5" / 8x10" / 16x20" ratio when I had your aspect ratio, and alternate now (with the dSLR ratio) between the 16x20"s and 16x24"s, depending on the composition.  

However, I don't know if this helps you or not.  Because I almost never crop at all, and would rather fill out than crop in.   And I have to work my images pretty hard to pull off those 16x24"s.  However, with decent megapixels, you shouldn't have much trouble aiming for the 10x15"s or 12x18"s, if you like that ratio fundamentally and the flexibility of other scales along with it.  

One other aspect of all this is actual framing.  4x5 ratio frames are considerably easier (for you or your customers) to buy off the shelf.   However, mPix does offer framing for MY favorite ratio (at all my large scales), which has, frankly, thrilled me.  But if "your people" will be likely to buy prints and frame themselves, I think 4x5 ratios are best and easiest.  If I'm doing model portfolio work (at no intended profit for myself, but in return for her contribution for my own art), I make sure to do those for 8x10" frames.  

So just derive from my experience as you please.   I am certainly more of a composition-obsessed control freak than most people.  You might happily enjoy more flexibility.  : )

p.s. to Paul/Brenda...

Nothing's wrong with the priority that you offered, certainly!  It's the difference between subject-centric photography, and "corner-to-corner" compositional photography.  You were exactly right that some goals (like, um, selling your work? ; ) benefit from "targeting flexibility," and it depends on the ultimate intention, the ideal we're shooting for.  

So my point is to endorse your advice - good food for thought for any photographer - even though I personally would be the last to adopt it.  : ) 

Thank you for your comments....I guess this is one I'm going to have to tussle with a little longer. I think I'm going to go with 2:3 (8x12) (sensor ratio) and remember to leave an inch on the side for 8x10 (2:2.5) "if" I can make it work compositionally. If someone wants to crop it to 8x10 they can. At least if someone feels the need to crop it down on the sides they probably can. Cutting down is easier than adding on. At least it's doable. Thank you all again. Food for thought.....

i use a 2:3 ratio and tell my customers to get a custom mat to fit a standard size frame.  now if zf ever offers an easy way to let me mat and frame an order for the customer it will be so much easier..