Load of Crop!? Big prints from m4/3 cameras part 2!

In part one of this article we discussed print sizes and megapixels.  You can check it out here: Load of Crop!

Part two of this article is going to discuss enlarging images from your m43 cameras.  In fact this can apply to any camera of smaller megapixel sizes.  Often we need to increase image size due to a crop not meeting minimum specifications for some use.  Some times the image we want to print does not have large enough pixel dimensions for the size we are after.  Or mayble you just flat out saved a picture off of facebook and need to print it even as a 5×7!  Goodness those facebook photos are small!  This are good ways to increase size, and bad ways.  I won’t get too technical in this article.  There is no reason to.  I am going to show you a sure fire way to get the size you need quickly and easily and get good results.  Lets begin!

So you are shooting with a 12 or 16mp camera for example…and you cropped a little…and now you want to print a 24 or 30″ print!  What to do!  We saw in part one depending on how solid your image is, we can get away even at lower DPIs for printing.  Say you are outside of that range and need your picture to be larger.  What to do?  There are some free options that are decent…but not great.  You can enlarge images with “Image size” in photoshop or by using the image size options in the export tab in lightroom.  Frankly your image won’t look any better.  In fact it will usually look worse.  A trick a lot of photographers that DO have to print, especially REALLY large is use dedicated software.  Back in the day it was Genuine Fractals. (1997…)  Today we have Alien Skin’s Blow Up.  This software has much better enlargement algorithms and can keep your image looking fairly true and clean as you push the size up.  Blow Up allows for easy resizing, as well as adding sharpening and grain if needed.  The program is straightforward.  You can run it as a plugin in photoshop or lightroom.  You can see their site for plenty of tutorials and examples, but I am going to show a few quick images here.

Click on the image to see the full size.  Image shot with an E-M1 & 12-40 F/2.8 Pro.

In this image I show a portion of an image cropped.  The top left is the camera zoomed in photoshop at 200%.  Top right is bicubic smoother enlargment in photoshop to 200%.  Bottom left is 200% enlargement with Blow Up.  Bottom right is the original at 100%.  If you pay attention to the edges and fine detail, you can see Blow Up is smooth and clean and seems to remake the image at the new size.  I have not sharpened any of these for this example.  The photoshop example isn’t bad…it’s just looks like an enlargement.  You can see mild artifacting. I personally highly recommend Alien Skin Blow Up.  If you are using a 16mp camera and decide you want to make a 30″ or greater print, I would definitely invest in the software.  No more wishing you shot with medium format or that shiny new D810.  Your E-Pl5 is plenty good.  And the prints will look awesome.  If you have the means to always shoot with the exact perfect tool for the job…that’s one thing.  If you just have specialty needs once in a while however, you would be amazed what you can do with whatever camera you currently have.  Don’t buy on potential, buy on what you love to use for what you do.

I own a medium format digital.  I own full frame dslrs.  I own or have owned at least one of each sensor size available.  SInce I switched to using 16mp m43 sensors for the majority of my shooting, I have been making some of my favorite images.  I don’t worry that I shoot with less megapixels.  I know that whatever my need is…I can enlarge it cleanly…assuming my technique was good.  I focus on my technique, my creativity, my vision, and all the things that actually matter.  I definitely recommend that over gear gear gear.

So let me share a video with you.  Can’t talk it without showing something right?  I have made a lot of prints using Blow Up.  I have also made a lot of prints directly without enlargement.  I have made a video showing you actual prints from my E-M1.  Check it out below!