I would like to share this image taken #somewhereinniagara to demonstrate the amount of detail in the original images I and other photographers take. This image is a full four times the size I usually export for social media, yet still only a quarter size of the original. And it’s at only 75% quality.
The original reveals far more detail. You can count the dandelions. The subtle colour hues in the leaves, and the leaves themselves, are crystal clear and crisp. Online, you are usually restricted to the web standard 8-bit colour scheme, sRGB (16 million colours). I and most photographers edit in 16 bit. That’s 281 trillion. You don’t need to be a math wizard to see, images squeezed into sRGB for viewing on social media are not being seen at their best.
Colour aside, quality and size are major considerations. Many photographers routinely upload smaller, reduced quality images, in an attempt to both discourage downloads and encourage sales. It’s a tightrope we walk. We all want our work to look good and are happy for our images to be shared, but many of us also want people to buy prints of the best ones, not download them as screensavers or print them at home. Cameras don’t buy themselves, after all. Photography is not a cheap hobby.
Call Me
Phones are fantastic for capturing the moment, and great for social media. Vertical, horizontal, shorts. I use mine for everything from reels to commercial productions. Their images print large enough for most needs. With enhancement, in some cases they can print large enough for the wall. But. And I say this with love. You simply don’t get all the detail and nuance that a dedicated camera delivers in the hands of someone that uses it well (I don’t presume to include myself in that number).
I just want to say this: If you want something FIT for your wall, something you can print eight feet wide and gaze at with love… you need a real camera. Phones just won’t cut it. Yet.
Until they do, photographers like myself will keep churning out our work and hoping that our audience enjoys it. But just so you know, our work is almost always best seen in print, up close and personal. That’s how it was shot and where it is meant to be. Not on social media. And hey, if you want a complex and challenging jigsaw, a shower curtain, or a duvet cover… those extra pixels, those colours, and that detail, really deliver. 🙂
