Anyone still stick rigidly to safe areas? at DVinfo.net

Peter Rush · June 3rd, 2016, 06:14 AM

I tend to have a lot of padding around my shots when viewed back on modern (I suppose not so modern now) LCD TVs - In fact when I watch on my Sharp 32" TV almost all the shot is in view as the bezel is so narrow. Should I frame tighter and disregard people watching on ancient tellys with really wide bezels? There can't be many these days watching on CRTs surely.

Pete

Jeff Pulera · June 3rd, 2016, 08:21 AM

Most TVs now are going to show pretty much the entire image, and for online viewing, the viewer sees every pixel, edge to edge.

Thanks

Steven Digges · June 4th, 2016, 04:36 PM

Peter,

I am an old sports photographer. Shooting tight is pounded into us big time. That experience is reflected in my video "style". I have almost never regretted shooting tight, at least not as far as screen cropping goes. In my mind I am still conditioned to believe good tight shots are one of the marks of a pro compared to an amateur. Shoot tight, no one will complain about being able to see into your subjects eyes :-)

Steve

Peter Rush · June 5th, 2016, 02:53 AM

For me old habits die hard and when I'm framing people such as in the ceremony or speeches I tend to leave a little 'padding' to allow for the safe area but of course LCD television sets have a tiny bezel (if at all) and of course online viewing is full frame so I need to forget the old ways lol!

Andrew Smith · June 5th, 2016, 03:45 AM

Well, I was recently looking at footage I shot 'tighter' last year in the knowledge that with the change in screen technologies and viewing platforms, the outer safety zone is no longer required in the future. And I've now gone back.

Weird, huh?

Andrew

Pete Cofrancesco · June 5th, 2016, 05:45 AM

I trust my eye what looks good. Leaving a margin avoids that cramped feeling when a subject gets too close to the edge.

Steve Burkett · June 5th, 2016, 09:34 AM

I really use my own judgement re composition; evaluate shot by shot. However I don't give any consideration to safety margins, except when using text in video, I'll reference it and even then I am not sticking totally to it. Few should be running CRT TV's and if they do, they just have to live with the crop.

Mike Watson · June 5th, 2016, 03:55 PM

I shoot with what looks good on a full crop, but I keep text and graphic elements inside 10%. Text safe was traditionally 20%, but that looks goofy to me now. When I was working in broadcast, we had to keep text inside 4:3 text safe, and anything you put on the screen looked like a postage stamp in the center of a page in 16:9.

June 3rd, 2016, 06:14 AM	#1
Peter Rush Inner Circle Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: UK/Yorkshire Posts: 2,069	Anyone still stick rigidly to safe areas? I tend to have a lot of padding around my shots when viewed back on modern (I suppose not so modern now) LCD TVs - In fact when I watch on my Sharp 32" TV almost all the shot is in view as the bezel is so narrow. Should I frame tighter and disregard people watching on ancient tellys with really wide bezels? There can't be many these days watching on CRTs surely. Pete

June 3rd, 2016, 08:21 AM	#2
Jeff Pulera Major Player Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Milwaukee WI Posts: 691	Re: Anyone still stick rigidly to safe areas? Most TVs now are going to show pretty much the entire image, and for online viewing, the viewer sees every pixel, edge to edge. Thanks __________________ Jeff Pulera Safe Harbor Computers

June 4th, 2016, 04:36 PM	#3
Steven Digges Trustee Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 1,828	Re: Anyone still stick rigidly to safe areas? Peter, I am an old sports photographer. Shooting tight is pounded into us big time. That experience is reflected in my video "style". I have almost never regretted shooting tight, at least not as far as screen cropping goes. In my mind I am still conditioned to believe good tight shots are one of the marks of a pro compared to an amateur. Shoot tight, no one will complain about being able to see into your subjects eyes :-) Steve __________________ www.CorporateShow.com Been at this so long I'm rounding my years of experience down...not up!

June 5th, 2016, 02:53 AM	#4
Peter Rush Inner Circle Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: UK/Yorkshire Posts: 2,069	Re: Anyone still stick rigidly to safe areas? For me old habits die hard and when I'm framing people such as in the ceremony or speeches I tend to leave a little 'padding' to allow for the safe area but of course LCD television sets have a tiny bezel (if at all) and of course online viewing is full frame so I need to forget the old ways lol!

June 5th, 2016, 03:45 AM	#5
Andrew Smith Equal Opportunity Offender Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Brisbane, Australia Posts: 3,065	Re: Anyone still stick rigidly to safe areas? Well, I was recently looking at footage I shot 'tighter' last year in the knowledge that with the change in screen technologies and viewing platforms, the outer safety zone is no longer required in the future. And I've now gone back. Weird, huh? Andrew

June 5th, 2016, 05:45 AM	#6
Pete Cofrancesco Inner Circle Join Date: May 2004 Location: USA Posts: 3,005	Re: Anyone still stick rigidly to safe areas? I trust my eye what looks good. Leaving a margin avoids that cramped feeling when a subject gets too close to the edge.

June 5th, 2016, 09:34 AM	#7
Steve Burkett Trustee Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Romsey, UK Posts: 1,261	Re: Anyone still stick rigidly to safe areas? I really use my own judgement re composition; evaluate shot by shot. However I don't give any consideration to safety margins, except when using text in video, I'll reference it and even then I am not sticking totally to it. Few should be running CRT TV's and if they do, they just have to live with the crop.

June 5th, 2016, 03:55 PM	#8
Mike Watson Trustee Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 1,082	Re: Anyone still stick rigidly to safe areas? I shoot with what looks good on a full crop, but I keep text and graphic elements inside 10%. Text safe was traditionally 20%, but that looks goofy to me now. When I was working in broadcast, we had to keep text inside 4:3 text safe, and anything you put on the screen looked like a postage stamp in the center of a page in 16:9.