Just the other day, another blogger asked me what image size she should select on her camera.
On my Nikon D5000, my options are Small (2144×1424, 3.1M), Medium (3216×2136, 6.9M), and Large (4288×2848, 12.2M). I keep my camera set on the Medium setting which, on many cameras, is the best option.
If you’d like an in-depth look at the subject of File Formats, Ken Rockwell’s excellent photo site has a good explanation.
But here’s a general rule: shoot your photos large enough so you can later print them if you choose. Although blogs and other online uses only require images of 72 dpi, if you ever want to print that photo or sell it to a publication for print use, you’ll need an image of at least 300 dpi and probably at least 4×6 inches. In general, if your file size is close to 1M, it’s probably large enough for print use.
I don’t set my file size to the largest setting because (1) it uses more space on the memory card, (2) it later uses more space on an external storage drive, and (3) manipulation of extra large photos is slow. Whether you’re using Photoshop or using an online photo editor, working with very large files is slow.
On the other hand, I don’t select the smallest file size because I want a high-quality image if I ever need it for print use.
Remember: you can always reduce your file size but you can never go the other direction. A small photo can never be made larger.
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