Digital Image Resolution

PRODUCT PHOTOSHOOT IMAGE REQUEST - LOW RES VS HIGH RES

We live in a world of selfies where taking a photo is as natural as breathing, but are we losing the art of a good photograph? Is there still a place in the world for the vintage photographer that uses words like DPI, resolution, aperture and has a camera with a lense that will never fit in their pocket?

The photographer is a mystical creative who lives in a world of light conditions, aperture speeds, and endless hours of editing. In this age of social media we take photos every day - surely we can all call ourselves photographers...right?

Ever taken a photo on your phone and then tried to create an A1 canvas size print of it?  Let me save you some time - it comes out blurry and pixelated.  That is because the photo that was taken on your phone is generally a low resolution image of 72DPI (dots per inch) by approx 3000 x 4000. A high res image shot by a professional photographer will be 3000 x 3000 pixel (before crop) jpeg image at 300 DPI

Let me show you what I mean. If you take a high res image at 300DPI (left) and scale a low res image of 72DPI (right) up to the same size the quality would reflect as below.

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Right - High res 300DPI Left - Low res 72DPI

A professional photography studio will supply a client with high and low res photos of the shoot. There is a catch though; some studios will lower their shoot cost by only supplying the client with the low res options of the shoot.  The client would then need to purchase the individual high res photos at an additional cost.  Always be very aware about what you need to achieve from your shoot versus what that you are paying for and expecting to receive. Below is a handy explanation of the difference between low and high res photography, and what they can be used for.

HIGH RES imagery 
- the image size of the individual photos will be 3000 x 3000 pixel at 300 DPI JPEG
- You'll be able to use these for banners, large format printing, vehicle branding, bill boards, and printed adverts.

LOW RES imagery
- the image size of the individual photos will be 3000 x 3000 pixel  at 72/150DPI JPEG
- Ideal for digital media (website/ social media)

That's pretty much the long and the short of it. Grafic Matter specializes in all parts related to your visual representation online. We can help with Social Media, Website and other promotional designs and artwork. Contact Us for a free quote.

Contact us today

Sources: 
​Low Resolution vs High Resolution - by Kaizen Prints
The difference between Low and High res Images on Consolidated Label Co
Product Photos by Product Photography

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Written by Corlia van Tonder
"I am a progressive Art Whiz who is open to new design and visual innovations. 
We are a brain driven, dynamic, digital design agency, where we focus on translating your brand into a graphic language that Matters!