Clipped photos :(

[ChargerDaytona]

I crop my photos really tight. Using Elements 4, created a DVD video from my photos. My std portrait jpg size is 600 pixels high by 200 wide. Landscape pics are 900 px wide. Unfortunately the DVD video cropped the top of most (all?) the pics. I can't seem to find a setting that tells elements to take the pics as they are.

[ATR]

Your aspect ratio (3:2) is that for when you are going to print an image. For video, for DVD standard, the aspect ratio = 4:3, for DVD Widescreen, the aspect ratio = 16:9.

Recommendation for standard DVD, crop to maintain the aspect ratio of 4:3 and do not let your pixel dimensions exceed 1000 x 750 pixels. The DVD-VIDEO format is standardized to frame size 720 x 480 pixels, whether you start with 800 x 600 or 1000 x 750.

Take a look at this FAQ about Photo Resolution and Video.

http://www.adobeforums.com/webx/.3bb8822c

When you open a project, the Welcome Screen Setup permits you to set a project preset. In the case of a DVD-VIDEO standard to-be (US), you would select NTSC DV Standard with standardized parameters, including frame size 720 x 480 (4:3).
When you get into the program and when you go Edit Menu/Preferences/General, there is a check off "Default Scale to Frame Size". When that is checked off, it will do just that. When you get to the Burn to Disc, that will be the operational preset. If you leave the "Default Scale to Frame Size" unchecked, then you can use the frame size of the original. This has implications if your export is going to be of a type which offers adjustable frame size, etc. NOT the case for DVD-VIDEO.

Let me know if any of that helped.

ATR

[ChargerDaytona]

thank you ATR, yes it answered the question very well, but it's not the answer I wanted to hear :(

The free Microsoft program allowed me to maintain the existing picture size without cropping. I have several hundred photos, not about to go through and resize, and if I just force an aspect ration change, everything is going to be distorted. Looks like this project is going to be done with the old MS program.

[ATR]

You mentioned a Microsoft program that works for what you want to do. What is that program? What is the program doing? Is it creating a DVD-VIDEO? If so, a DVD-VIDEO is a DVD-VIDEO. If it is not creating a DVD-VIDEO, what is it helping you to generate?

Are you saying that you can create a DVD-VIDEO with your photos as is in this program, with no distortion of photos?

Maybe if I can compare the Microsoft program with the Premiere Elements program, I can come up with some applicable ideas.

How is it that you did your camera shots in 3:2 instead of 4:3?

ATR

[ChargerDaytona]

i use Photo Story 3, which is very basic, but generall does what I need it to. It give you the option to not crop the photos. Have to buy an inexpensive program to actually burn to DVD, but believe it will write .wmv without the add in program. I bought the elements package, and wanted to try premier. In general, i like it, if I can fix this issue. I can see it cutting my work load a lot. Took me almost 5 hours yesterday to use PhotoStory, where I spent less then an hour using premier... for the first time.

I crop everything 2x3, because I'm mostly doing kids sports in portrait. Maintain the camera's original ratio. Parents like the 4x6 size for prints, get no individual 5x7 requests. Most of the larger print size sales come from 8x12, get a few specific 8x10 requests. I only offer poster size in 2x3.

[ATR]

I have just downloaded Photo Story 3 to get a better idea of what it is offering. After working with it, I will get back to you with some comments and it and Premiere Elements.

It sounds like your focus is the selling of your "printed" photos which are in the typical print aspect ratio of 3:2. I understand that you want to make a DVD-VIDEO of them, but I am not clear as to how you are using the DVD-VIDEO. Do you want to take these photos (intended for print), create a slideshow with pan/zooms, music, etc., and then have your customers play that on their TVs via their TV/DVD player? Or, is your interest in the DVD-VIDEO just a vehicle to display jpeg photos, like a jpeg CD?

Keep in mind, Photoshop Elements is the photo editor in this and Premiere Elements is the video editor as well as the generator of the DVD-VIDEO. A

To be continued....

ATR

[ATR]

The core of this issue goes to trying to use photos for print (aspect ratio 3:2) in video with its standardized frame size and aspect ratio (4:3). Your need for photos with an aspect ratio of 4:3 was mentioned previously.

Photo Story 3 is not your answer. It goes by the same rules as Premiere Elements when it comes to conforming to video standards. It does have an interesting “Remove black borders” feature which would take your 3:2 crop and convert it into the best possible 4:3 crop IF IT CAN. The output is via .wmv profiles each offering different frame sizes, BUT with the 4:3 ratios. Let me give you some examples:

You say that you have landscape as 900 pixels wide x 600 pixels high. Whether you take that into Photo Story 3 or Premiere Elements, you are going to have black borders across the top and bottom of the image. Photo Story 3 has a feature “Remove black borders”. After it analyzes, it crops the 900 x 600 pixels image with the 3:2 aspect ratio to 794 x 596 pixels with aspect ratio 4:3. You can move the crop area around, but it is still a 4:3 crop. Premiere Elements 4 does have a video effect under Transform called Crop, but I think your best results would be to crop in the photo editor Photoshop Elements. The output from Photo Story 3 appears to be .wmv with different frame sizes, often similar to Premiere Elements options. Take a look under the Photo Story 3 Settings. BUT, though the frame size varies, the aspect ratio 4:3 does not.

Now the portrait oriented photos are another story (no pun intended). You say that these are 600 pixels high and 200 pixels wide. Whether you take that into Photo Story 3 or Premiere Elements, you are going to have large black borders on the right and left sides of the image. Photo Story 3 threw up its hands at this with the message “Photo Story analyzed your pictures and found that cropping your photos would not yield the best results”.

It is important to point out the Photo Story 3 can yield a wmv suitable for processing into DVD-VIDEO, BUT with additional software. Then that drags us into the topic of quality. Many down grade the use of .wmv to create DVD-VIDEO and prefer sending a non wmv version of a Photoshop Elements slideshow via the Send to Premiere Elements that is only found in the specific combos of Photoshop Elements 5/Premiere Elements 3 OR Photoshop Elements 6/Premiere Elements 4.

If you have a lot of portraits, check out the following to fill in the black borders with something scenic: In Premiere Elements, place your photos on Video Track 2 and the desired fill in background on Video Track 1. Also, do you ever set your camera for 4:3 images rather than 3:2?

Think it over and let me know if you agree with my train of thought.

ATR