The subject of recording images, saving and also sharing them, takes more than just turning on your camera and depressing the shutter. In this somewhat confusing article, I hope to make things a little clearer for the reader to have a better understanding about what goes on when it comes to recording images with a camera. Before we get too far ahead, maybe I should cover the proper steps in order to accomplish the results one might be hoping to attain.
The first thing to consider is — what do I expect to do with my photos? You may already have a collection of old photos stored in a box that you wish to share with others, or perhaps you may be an artist who wishes to print out copies of your work or post them on a website. Once you’ve decided what your goal is, then you can begin your journey through a digital world of what I call “too much information, too many options.”
The camera: most importantly, we need to set our camera to the highest resolution possible. That could be a Tiff file extension connected to the images or a high resolution Jpeg (jpg) file extension. If you use the Tiff file extension, you will get the most amount of metadata for each image. Metadata? Look it up online. Jpeg file extensions have less data and also less color range. You also need to consider what size in GB (gigabytes) your camera storage card can hold: 4 GB, 8, 16, 64, and so on. If you record images at the highest resolution, afterwards you can reduce the image/file size to suit your needs. If you record your image at too small a file size, you cannot enlarge it later on.
Another consideration is to think about how many ppi (pixels per inch) you need to use. When it comes to pixel size, the larger the file, the more pixels that image has. When I used to make prints, or send out my photos to be published in magazines, the requirements generally were to send the largest file size possible. Example: image: 300 ppi x 8.5” x 11” which is suited for full page images. When I send photos for the Gazette to use, I like sending them at 140 ppi x 5” x 7”. That’s a good size because using this file size, the image can easily be reduced to what they need, or even enlarged slightly if desired. Clear? Too confusing? Yes, it’s a lot to digest. But if you follow these steps, life becomes much easier for everyone beyond you. So, if you expect to record many images, for vacation, an assignment, or whatever reason, use the storage card (s) that hold the most images. I use two or three 8 GB cards in my camera, one at time, of course. Perhaps I should purchase larger storage cards. It all depends on what you expect to do with your photos.
Less expensive cameras sometimes only offer the user the jpg file format, while more expensive or professional quality cameras offer the user more choices. Also, as far as I know, smart phones use only the jpg file extension. And that’s good enough for most applications. Now you should have an idea what to do if you wish to submit your photos or other artwork to the Gazette, magazines or to post online. Confused yet? Okay, here’s another thing I want to share with everyone: in the past, and even in the present, I am sent a lot of images to get ready for publication in the Gazette that are far too small to work on. Example: someone may send an image as follows: 72 ppi x 1.5” x 2.5”. Yikes! What can I do with that? Nothing, indeed! Please make my job easier. If you’ve swallowed and digested all of this information, you are headed in the right direction.
Next, when it comes to having a photographic print you wish to share, it has to be scanned. Hopefully your scanner has a number of ranges or settings one can use, especially considering pixels per inch. Always scan your images at no less than 300 ppi. Please! Color slides are a different matter. They need to be scanned at around 2100 ppi or more in order to get the best quality. Yep, you’re confused. And I do understand. Really. Over the years, and I do mean years, I’ve written very similar articles covering this same information to be published in the Gazette. But does anyone follow those guidelines? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Oh well, so goes life.
Another thing to consider is this: please Do Not send articles with photos imbedded in them. Write your article and the Gazette will incorporate your photo into your article. Thank you! And please take the time to find the best image(s) for us to use. They are very much appreciated. I hope that all of this information helps you along your way to successful reproductions of your work.
Pete Vertefeuille