Resizing and Adjusting
3. Taking Charge of Your Photo’s Dimensions
Sometimes, a No Crop app isn’t quite enough. Maybe you want a more seamless look, or perhaps you’re dealing with a particularly stubborn photo that refuses to fit nicely into any aspect ratio. In these cases, it’s time to get your hands dirty and resize your photo directly.
Photo editing apps like Snapseed, Adobe Lightroom Mobile, and VSCO offer powerful resizing and aspect ratio tools. These apps allow you to precisely control the dimensions of your photo, ensuring it fits perfectly within Instagram’s specifications. You can crop, rotate, and even stretch your image (use this sparingly, unless you want to make someone look like they’ve been squeezed through a taffy puller!).
When resizing, pay close attention to the aspect ratio. Instagram’s preferred ratios are 1:1 (square), 1.91:1 (landscape), and 4:5 (portrait). If your photo doesn’t match one of these ratios, you’ll need to crop it slightly. Try to anticipate where the cropping will occur and adjust the composition of your photo accordingly. This might mean reframing the image or shifting the focus to a different part of the scene.
Remember, a little tweaking can go a long way. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different resizing and cropping techniques until you achieve the perfect result. The goal is to create a visually appealing image that showcases your photography skills, without sacrificing any important details to the Instagram crop monster.
Consider the Composition Before You Snap
4. Planning Ahead for Instagram Glory
The best way to avoid the Instagram crop is to think about it before you even take the picture. While it’s not always possible, consciously composing your shots with Instagram’s aspect ratios in mind can save you a lot of headache later on. This is how to fix cut off pictures on Instagram before it even becomes a problem.
For example, if you know you want to post a landscape photo, try shooting in a wide format. Leave some extra space around the edges of your subject, giving you more flexibility when cropping. If you’re shooting a portrait, frame your subject loosely, allowing for some cropping at the top and bottom. It’s much easier to crop out unwanted elements than to try to cram everything into a too-small frame.
Many smartphones and cameras allow you to display grid lines on the screen. Use these grid lines to help you compose your shots. They can help you visualize how the photo will look when cropped to different aspect ratios. Experiment with different compositions and see how they affect the overall impact of the image.
Think of it as pre-emptive cropping. By anticipating the Instagram crop, you can ensure that your photos are perfectly composed from the start, minimizing the need for post-processing adjustments. This will save you time, effort, and, most importantly, prevent any unfortunate head-chopping incidents.