Category Archives: NKRemote

Shooting Square photos with Breeze Photo Booth software

Usually photo booth images are shot in ‘landscape’ mode; so that you can comfortably include several people in the shot. Sometimes we want to vary this.

Update: DSLR Remote Pro 3.9 introduced a  simpler way to shoot square images

This post explains how to create and print square  photos using DSLR Remote Pro 3.7.3. Webcam Photobooth, NKRemote and PSRemote work in a very similar way. First we need to change the shape of the live view image; then change the print layout to match.

1. Start DSLR Remote Pro and run the Photobooth Setup Wizard to set up a basic booth, selecting a single photo at Step 1.

DSLR Remote Pro 3.7.3 main screen: Photobooth Setup Wizard button highlighted

2. Start the photo booth. DSLR Remote Pro allows you to customize your booth setup without connecting the camera. (NKRemote  and PSRemote users  connect and switch on the camera. Webcam Photobooth uses the PC’s internal camera if you have not connected an external camera.)

DSLR Remote Pro 3.7.3 main screen: Start Photobooth button highlighted

3. Crop the live view guests see by holding down the ‘shift’ key and pressing the cursor right arrow -> until the live view window is square. The amount of cropping is shown in the lower right corner of the screen. If you overshoot press ‘shift’ and the left arrow <- to reduce the cropping.

DSLR Remote Pro 3.7.3 : changing shape of Live View

4. Check the crop size to see whether the live view window is square: numbers in brackets show (width x height) of the live view.

DSLR Remote Pro 3.7.3 : 160 pixels have been cropped from each side of live view image to a create 640×640 square

5. Press <Escape> to exit Photobooth mode and select the large ‘Print Layout’ button to open the Print Layout Editor.

DSLR Remote Pro 3.7.3 main screen: Print Layout button highlighted

6. Right click on the photo in the print layout and select ‘Edit image position’. Set the image width and height to the same value to make the photo square.

DSLR Remote Pro 3.7.3 Print Layout editor: image on print cropped to square shape

7. Click OK, drag the photo to the required position and/or resize it by dragging the corners. Add any captions, background etc before exporting the layout to save your work.

DSLR Remote Pro 3.7.3 Print Layout editor: Export layout button highlighted

Square photos can be combined with filters to give a pop art effect, or used singly for a ‘polaroid’ look.

This method can be used to create rectangular photos of any proportions you choose. More details.

Ready for more? You can also create round (or any other shape) photos using  a live view overlay and print overlay. You will need to create these overlays in an image editor such as Photoshop. The DSLR Remote Pro help files explain how to customize screens and prints in more detail.

Copyright Breeze Systems 2017