File Size and Format

JC
Posted By
Jim_Casady
Nov 14, 2003
Views
338
Replies
5
Status
Closed
I’ve been working with jpegs for 11 or 12 years, but it seems there are some fundamentals that I am not grasping as far as file size and format. I’ve been printing photos up to 13X19 with stunning results for the most part, but when I shoot pictures of groups of people (a dozen or more) I’m not satisfied with the detail and sharpness in the individual faces. In the past I always shot large groups with an RB 67 and now I am shooting everything with the newest Nikon D100 and printing large with an Epson 2200. I understood everything about getting what I wanted out of the RB and film…is there a gap in my understanding about file formats and preparing photos for large prints or am I just expecting too much out of digital at the moment compared to the medium format shooting of old? My editing workstation is fairly fast (2.4 Pentium 4) and rendering/printing time vs. studio volume keeps me working most comfortably with file sizes under 235 MB-do I need to upgrade there to get the results I’m after or am I making an acquisition/format error?

I like the jpeg fine setting on the Nikon for the capacity it provides and most final applications, but wonder if either the TIF or RAW settings on acquisition would be preferable for group shots printed larger than 8X10.
I’ve experimented with it a little, but I guess I don’t understand how to work with TIF or RAW files well enough to really compare and need a little instruction on the advantages and how to exploit them to yield the results I’m looking for. I also think I may be missing something or sometimes inadvertantly degrading images when it comes to interpolating and image size. Geez…I feel like a novice again.

Any help will be appreciated.
JC
Related Tags
file format size

How to Improve Photoshop Performance

Learn how to optimize Photoshop for maximum speed, troubleshoot common issues, and keep your projects organized so that you can work faster than ever before!

CW
Colin_Walls
Nov 14, 2003
To compare, just take the same image in both formats, load into PS and zoom in really close. In my experience, a fine quality first-generation JPEG rarely shows much degradation compared the other formats.

However, do not ever save an image from PS as a JPEG after working on it. Do that a few times and your image will be trashed.
JC
Jim_Casady
Nov 14, 2003
Ahhh…THANKS! On my comparison shots, I couldn’t see much difference between original TIF and JPEG fine files when I zoomed in. As I reviewed some of the posts I did see some references to image degradation with subsequent generations of jpegs; that was the first thing I didn’t follow, although inasmuch as I do a lot of video work too and understand generation loss all too well when it comes to that, one would think I would have.

I have idly wondered about format and generation loss in the past when it comes to still images but nobody around here really understands anything about digital imaging and I’ve never found a resource for these types of questions before.

From what you are saying, at least one of the reasons I can describe most of my large prints as stunning in detail and clarity but the group shots unsatisfactory is I usually do all the retouching and work on a single face or figure in one shot, then save and print, while in a group, I retouch each individual and save each time before going to the next. Therefore, I’m only out one or two generations on an individual but out ten or more on groups before I print.

The simplest things can trip a person up.

Fortunately, I habitually archive all my original images, so I can easily go back to the shots I have been dissastified with, redo the work and save in the better format. I have several important shoots on the schedule and although I like the capacity jpeg fine allows, it seems that for the larger groups I’d be better off to pick up whatever extra capacity the budget allows and acquire in the TIF format. Wish I had the time to experiment with it more first, but I’m down to the wire on the schedule until the first of the year.

Thanks again.
JC
CW
Colin_Walls
Nov 14, 2003
Jim:
My approach is to acquire in JPEG and store "originals" that way. If I want to work on an image at all, the first thing I do is load into PS and Save As a PSD. That is then my working copy. [Incidentally, I use Photoshop Album to manage this process, but that is simply a personal choice.]
A
ABERGER2
Nov 14, 2003
Howdy Jim & Colin,

I found an article on JPGS at <http://people.aero.und.edu/~mschroed/jpeg.html> It is quite wordy but it does present the answers you were looking for… More information can be found if you look at the references… Just one of the quotes I found is "Although the JPEG algorithm is lossy, it can be very effectively applied to a 24-bit color image, achieving compression ratios of 10:1 to 20:1 without any image degradation that is visible to the human eye at normal magnification".

Hope this helps…

Al Berger
JC
Jim_Casady
Nov 14, 2003
Thanks to both you Colin (again) and Al. From what you are saying in response Colin, I can apparently continue with jpeg fine and get the capacity I want, keeping in mind the later management of the files to preserve image quality. I just got Photoshop Album a couple of weeks ago, but haven’t had the time to work with it much-too much volume in the studio for the time being so I have to use the stuff I am accustomed to until I get a study break.

Al, I’m going right to the link you provided and bookmark it-algorithms, compression ratios and so on are two specific areas I’ve been looking for technical information and reference on. Whenever I’ve brought up algorithms to otherwise adept professional friends in the past they change the subject or have to go answer the phone. Hehe. A big part of what I need is the vocabularly to both express what I need to find out and understand the reply, I think.

JC

MacBook Pro 16” Mockups 🔥

– in 4 materials (clay versions included)

– 12 scenes

– 48 MacBook Pro 16″ mockups

– 6000 x 4500 px

Related Discussion Topics

Nice and short text about related topics in discussion sections