edjamacation

How many megapixels do you REALLY need?

September 27, 2016

Sony has released a phone with a 23MP camera (a year ago…when I first started writing this blog post. HA whooops). “Oh wow!” you say. “That camera must be amazing! I mean, 23 megapixels!” Well you might be right – the camera could be amazing, but it wouldn’t have anything to do with the megapixels. In fact, the phone you’d be viewing the pictures on doesn’t even know what to do with 98% of those pixels.

Here’s the truth – tons of megapixels are *not really all that useful for most people*. And now you go, “ixi, you dunderheaded ninny! How could that be? You’re CRAZY!” I know, I know, collecting as many megapixels as possible is a practice that has been instilled within us so deeply that it’s hard to imagine that more megapixels doesn’t always equal a better camera. That’s what all the marketing is about for every camera ever (and now phones), but it’s just hype. Unless you want to print on a billboard or you’re a 4k cinematographer, you really don’t need sooo many mega-ixils!

First, what does “mega” even mean in this case? It means MILLION. Bam. 1MP = 1 million pixels. Regular computer screens generally have a few megapixels. Phones are not anywhere near that. That giant 27″ Mac with Retina display does have 14MP, because it’s insane. And that’s only useful to professional photographers and videographers that need it. So how many do YOU need? Here’s what ixi thinks:

‘Sup. I’m a person who has a camera phone and likes to take snap shots of my friends, dog, food, and myself.

You need, like, 1/2 MP (if that)

Hi! I’m a person who has a camera phone and I use it for food pics and cat pics and all that jazz too, but also for travel and sometimes I like to print out my pictures when I get to the top of a mountain. But probably not much bigger than an 8×10.

You probably need 2-3MP

Howdy! I have a DSLR and/or a camera phone, and I like to print my pictures big on occasion, like 16×20 or 20×30.

You probably need: 10-12MP

HULLO! I’m an amateur or professional photographer and I like to print my photos big, like 24×36 or 30×40, AND/OR I like to crop a lot of the image out when I’m editing to zoom in on a specific part.

You probably need: 10-16MP.

Greetings! I worry about things like whether or not I will be able to zoom in on my photos on my implanted virtual reality camera in 30 years.

Ok, you could probably use those 23MP. Knock yourself out. As technology evolves, the screens are going to get more and more pixel-dense, and our devices WILL require more and more megapixels so that the pictures look good when we view them on our pixel-crazy screens.

But right now, we have more megapixels than the average person can “use” on their camera/phone. Something else to consider is that more pixels means more data, which means bigger pictures, and that can slow performance and image transfers down considerably.

SO. What should I be looking for to determine if a camera is good?

Well there’s a lot to say about that. The short answer is the sensor and the lens(es). But NOT the megapixels. Wanna guess how many I’ve got in my professional camera bodies?

Consider yourself a little more edjumacated!

5 reasons why doing a “first look” is awesome

March 23, 2016

You can get the formal photos out of the way • Want to enjoy your own cocktail hour? Want to split up the 60-90 minutes of photo-taking into two pieces? Scheduled your ceremony at sunset? If you do a first look, then you can do some or all of the “formal” photos, like wedding party, family, and couple shots, before you even get married. It’s food for the organized couples’ souls.
Calm yo nerves! • Weddings are stressful, both in good and not-so-good ways. Either way, you’re probably going to have some nervous energy and the one person you want to see to help ground you is? Ding ding ding, that’s right! Your fiance. Touching base and holding each other is an excellent way to remind each other why you’re doing all this craziness in the first place!
You can really appreciate each other • I think it sucks that it’s not “acceptable” to show your true feelings when you first see each other. Yes, one or both of you may cry and you’ll be smiling and that’s amazing! But don’t you wanna make out and hug and say, “oh my god you look incredible!!!” “Let me see the back!” “A number of other things I want to say to you!” When you’re up there in front of everyone, it’s almost like a performance, and most wedding ceremonies don’t leave space for genuine reactions.
The moment you walk down the aisle is still intense • I’ve heard this time and time again: nothing can prepare you for that moment of seeing your partner walk down the aisle toward you surrounded by friends and family. Nothing. It’s like…”oh shit! This is really happening!”
It’s archaic • Waiting to see the bride until after you sealed the deal with a kiss is a European, arranged-marriage tradition. The groom didn’t know what his bride looked like, so the intention was to make it official before he could protest. Nowadays couples are nearly always living together before they get engaged. Pretty sure you know what your partner looks like in basically every way imaginable by now. 🙂

A bonus reason to consider is timing things with the best lighting. If you scheduled your ceremony as the sun goes down, then you might want to consider doing a first look so that you can do all the formal photos before your ceremony.

Awesome wall galleries add life to awesome doctor’s office

November 9, 2015

I think this lovely doctor’s office looks even better with a splash of color and adorableness on its walls!

The Flint family own this oral surgery practice in southwest Austin and they’re great people. If you’re not currently suffering from any ailments of the mouth, go get yourself an impacted wisdom tooth TODAY!

Haha I kid I kid. But check them out if you need a good guy on your side.www.flintoms.com

ixi is a traveling wedding and family photographer! Based in Austin, but also a Portland photographer, Bay Area photographer, Denver area photographer, and southwest/west coast/northwest.

To Ink or Not To Ink?

December 10, 2014

I’ll bet that you think those prints sitting on your desk are made with ink. After reading that sentence, you’re probably starting to second guess yourself. Read on to find out the TRUTH!

What’s a photographic print?

Photographic prints are the kind you put in an 8×10 frame or stick in those albums with plastic sleeves. Otherwise known to you as “a print”!

Photographic printing is also used in certain types of albums. The papers are bonded to substrate (a thick cardboard-like material) so that the pages become unbendable and untearable (unterrible?).

Look Ma, no ink!

Ok, ready to learn the secret?

Just like the receipts nowadays are printed using heat-sensitive paper, photographic prints from digital files are made using light-sensitive paper. My lab exposes the paper to a laser light source, and the image that develops is simply a reaction to the light. Because of this, the image is a permanent part of the paper, or more rather, it IS the paper! There’s no scratching that stuff off.

I like to think this is how it looks when my lab is processing my orders. Courtesy of Science Wizard Party

B&W vs color

Believe it or not, there is a difference between photographic printing when it comes to B&W vs color. This is why when you order B&W prints from Shutterfly they look purple. I love purple, but I want my B&W prints to be black and white, thanks! Ordering from a professional means the photographer can specify with the lab to use the B&W photographic printing process.

Professional vs consumer labs

There’s a time and place for professional prints and a time and place for consumer prints. It all depends on the quality, color accuracy, and longevity you’re expecting. I always hand my clients a bunch of prints of the same picture. One of them is from a professional print lab, the rest are from various consumer labs. Not only do they always know which one is the professional print, but they often make comments like, “ew, the Walgreens one is green. The Target one is neon. The Shutterfly one isn’t sharp. The Costco one is super dark.” It’s better to make an educated decision after seeing what you’re getting yourself into either way!

Professionals can also offer things like different finishes, mounting (which is when the print is bonded to a rigid material), and matting, like this:

Matted 5×7 print to an 8×10 frame with texture

Well, I hope you learned something new today. When I learned about photographic prints my eyes got wide. Pretty neat stuff! If you found this post helpful, feel free to comment and share it around!

Why Canvas Wraps are Better than Framed Prints

December 1, 2014

(Well, canvas wraps aren’t better than framed prints if you’re in love with the look of a framed print.)

I don’t offer framed prints at ixi.photography. Instead, I’m all about canvases! My favorite and most popular product is CANVAS, and I’ll tell you why.

They’re easier to order and hang

It takes about 30 seconds to get a canvas on your wall from delivery, because you don’t have to go out, choose a frame, order it and install the print. Often, having more choices leads to less satisfaction, and that can be true of trying to pick a frame. The inherent simplicity of a canvas wrap means there’s a greater chance that it will actually go on your wall instead of sitting in a box waiting to be framed for all eternity (speaking from experience, here!).

They look really neat

The texture and the way the image wraps around the side is just a really neat look. When I see a canvas wrap, I get this odd sense of satisfaction seeing how the image goes along the frame. Do you? Maybe I’m just weird.

They come in unconventional sizes

You can order prints in unconventional sizes, but that means you need to have custom framing, which can be a significant investment. I love being able to order a canvas gallery with squares or long rectangles, and not have to worry about getting them framed at an additional cost.