Digital crap or digital gold

 

 

 

People have often sent me photos hoping to have them published in Platypus, AFP News, Army Magazine, J.GENCA etc. But, too often these people are disappointed.

Why?

Well, it usually comes down to digital cameras.

Many people have digital cameras these days and, while many are for private use, they are sometimes used for that special, dramatic, unpredicted and/or often historic occurrence.

The problem is that image resolution, in more instances than not, is too low.

A photo may look great when downloaded to a computer but, when resolution is low, it is only suitable for viewing on a computer screen.

  • Computer screens are optimised for 72 dots per inch (dpi).
  • Glossy magazines require 240 dpi.
  • Newspapers and newsletters require 160 dpi.
  • An ordinary photograph is 300 dpi optimum.

This means a terrific-looking photo on your computer screen suddenly becomes the size of a postage stamp if published in a high-quality medium like a magazine.

So, if you are out and about and the world erupts around you (God forbid) and you manage to fire off a couple of photos, the value of the photo is greatly limited if the camera is set for low resolution.

The same applies to that excellent baby snap you took, or your best friend’s wedding or kid's graduation etc etc.

 

Why do people set their cameras for low resolution?

Because they can fit more photos on to their storage disc/card.

But, surely it is better to have 20 usable pictures than having hundreds of great looking (only on computer) photos that cannot be printed or used for any other purpose.

PLEASE – set your digital camera to its highest resolution settings – now. Consult your owners manual.

A good guide when fiddling with your settings is - the fewer pictures the camera tells you you have left, the better.

On my 6.2 megapixel camera, for example, the shots remaining readout says 151 when I have a blank 512 megabyte card inserted.
If you have a 4 megapixel camera, for example, expect to fit about half as many pics on the card as there are free megabytes - that is, if you have a 16 meg card, expect to take 8 pics or there abouts - if you have a 124 meg card, expect to take about 60 pictures, and so on.

 

Remember – a big photo can be cut down to size but a small photo is next to useless.

 

Happy snapping.
Brian Hartigan
The Big Irish Git

  
 

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8

Assignment 1
Assignment 2