The short version
Follow the steps below with the free Crop to 9:16 tool — it runs entirely in your browser, needs no upload, account or watermark, and finishes in about a minute.
Step by step
1
Try the direct crop first
Use the 9:16 preset; if the subject survives centring, done — crop and resize to 1080×1920.
2
If it cuts too much, build a canvas
Resize the landscape photo to 1080 px wide, then fill the top/bottom gap with a blurred version of the same photo (blur tool) or a solid colour.
3
Keep the centre safe area
UI overlays eat the top and bottom ~250 px — put faces and text in the middle band.
4
Export one JPEG per Story frame
Or batch up to 30 for a whole campaign.
Open the Crop to 9:16 toolFree · unlimited · runs in your browser
Pro tips & common mistakes
- Shoot wide when you know a vertical crop is coming — the extra side pixels become your crop room.
- A blurred-fill canvas keeps the frame feeling native instead of letterboxed.
- Add captions in the middle third; the algorithm also uses that region for previews.
Related guides
How to Make a Story / Reel Picture (1080×1920)How-to guideHow to Blur an Image BackgroundHow-to guideHow to Resize a Photo to 1080×1080 (Perfect Square)How-to guide
Frequently asked questions
What is the correct vertical size?
1080×1920 px (9:16) — same for Reels, Shorts and TikTok.
Can YouTube Shorts use landscape?
It will pillarbox them; vertical crops get far better shelf placement.
Does cropping shrink quality?
No — the kept pixels stay sharp; you lose edges, not detail.