*** Paper Choices *** Cropping *** Corrections ***

Please scroll down to review information regarding these issues.  If you do not see your question(s) here, please do not hesitate to contact us!

What's the difference between Matte, Luster or  Glossy finish? 

For smaller sized images, wallet through 11 x 14, Red Horse uses Epson inkjet printers which give us the truest to life quality.  In keeping with the printer specifications, we ONLY use Epson inks and paper.  Epson describes their paper products in this way:

Matte finish :  an ultra smooth, non-glare, heavy-weight paper for long lasting photographs. 

Luster finish:  a soft gloss paper for vivid, lifelike images; achieve accurate colors and rich, bold blacks.

Glossy finish:  a long-lasting, high gloss finish suitable for framing.

Truth to tell, they are ALL suitable for framing.  When asked for our personal choice, we usually waiver between matte and luster, depending on our mood but once in a while we must admit we do enjoy an old fashioned glossy a la Hollywood style!! 

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What do I need to know about how my image will be cropped?

Before we discuss how Red Horse approaches cropping an image so that it conforms to a standard size, let us be clear that YOUR INPUT IS ALWAYS WELCOME!  We want you to be happy with your print.  If you would like to provide any cropping guidelines, please feel free to do so; just be sure to email us your concerns when you place your order.

Now, let's discuss the size of the image plane.  When you review the thumbnails in the Red Horse Gallery, you are seeing the image in what we call, FULL FRAME, or everything that was captured in that moment in time. 

Unfortunately, to conform with standard print sizes, not all of what you see can be included in the final print.  Once we crop to conform to the new size, we alter the ratio. 

The ratio changes with each different sizing from wallet through 11 x 14 although a 4 x 6 print is true to the full content of the file.  This is also true of an 8 x 12 or 24 x 36, for that matter.  An 8 x 12 is not normally offered and unless you are having the print framed, difficult but not impossible, for which to find ready-made frames. 

Red Horse currently shoots completely digitally but even with negative/positive images, the ratio is similarly true.  To give the most extreme scenario, when you order an 8 x 10 print, approximately two inches of the image must be cropped away to conform to that size.

Below is an example of what we mean.  We have taken one image which you will first see as "full frame" but then we'll show you how the various cropping choices affect the same image.   

Above is the original full frame image which may be printed as a 4 x 6 without any cropping.  However, below we opted to crop a bit to slightly adjust the viewers focus on the subject.  Here is the same image cropped for 4 x 6:

Now, let's look at what happens when we want to see this image at a 5 x 7 crop:

Particularly when a client orders multiple sizes of the same image, we strive to keep them as uniform as possible.  Here you can see the slightest extra space to the right of the horse's face.  And now let's have a look at the 8 x 10:

Notice how much of the horse's chest must be removed to create that ratio!  Okay, just to round out the choices, let's take a look at this image as a 3.5 x 5, you will notice the image is a bit "longer."  Here it is:

Lastly, let's look at what happens for a "wallet" cropped image - 2.5 x 3.5, right, half of a 5 x 7 so contains the same content:

The above image selected for our illustration is a traditional image with plenty of extraneous space around the subject so that it may be cropped rather easily.  However, when the subject commands the entire frame or, often, overflows that frame, cropping can become a challenge.  Take a look at this side-by-side example of what happens when the original overflows the boundaries:

The image on the left is original, full frame while the one on the right depicts what happened when it was cropped to conform to 8 x 10.  Since the helmet had already been partially "cut" into, we cut deeper trying to save a portion of the rider's hands which, for us, "told the full story" of what was taking place.  The old adage, "A picture is worth a thousand words," is so often true for the viewer.  We look at one image and an entire story comes to life in our mind's eye -- or we hope when you view a Red Horse image the experience is that inclusive!

We hope this information has armed you with the tools to make your cropping choices.  We heartily encourage you to contact us with any concerns or thoughts as you prepare your order.  If you have ANY QUESTION in your mind about how your final print may turn out....call or email, we'll be happy to send you a "proof" via email so you may see it before you buy it.

Our thanks to MaryPat O'Grady for allowing us to use the above images & for her patience with us while we worked through some cropping issues for her!

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What corrections should we expect will be made to our image prior to our receiving our print?

Surely, you may expect that the image will have any normal color corrections made; if the image is too dark, it will be lightened, etc.  

There have been many times when we have been bothered by background color or objects that cause the viewer's attention to be drawn off of the subject.  In those cases we try to remove anything that competes with the subject but does not contribute to the scene.  For example, if a cup has been dropped in the background, we'll make it "go away." 

During the ECRDA Championship show, there was a lovely scene set up so that horse and rider could be photographed with their awards.  Unfortunately, early on in the day, nervous horses made a contribution to the scene that was not terribly sightly.  We removed the "deposits" from each image as the example below shows:

What won't we fix [without client input]? 

Unless you ask us directly to change something on the horse and/or rider, we will leave it alone.  A prime example was a portrait of a horse's face.  Yes, we noticed there was a "mark" on the face but did not "fix" it as it depicted the reality of the moment.  Okay, you may argue, having plops in the image [above illlustration] also dipicts the reality of the moment and perhaps rightly so.  We tend to look at these kinds of personal "blemishes" as something not to be interfered with unless otherwise consulted. 

Let's look at that issue:

Yes, the mark just under the eye.  This is the sort of issue we'd expect YOU, the client, to point out and request special handling with.  Although many photographers will charge their clients for this service, Red Horse will take care of these small issues as part of ensuring your satisfaction with your order.  We've been known to "snip" faces off one image and pop them into the preferred image!!  So long as the task does not become labor intensive, incurring a big drain on our time, we are happy to provide this service.

Thanks to Dr. Iris Biely and Laurie Miller for allowing us to use their images for these examples!!

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