September 30, 2010
September 26, 2010
Fall in Utah
Fall is my favorite time of year. For those of you who don’t know me, I enjoy riding my bike. When I’m not at work printing your scrapbook layouts, I’m on my bike. When I’m not on my bike, I’m thinking about being on my bike, or racing my bike or planning a bike ride. You could say that I’m obsessed about anything related to bikes or biking. I eat food or I don’t eat food, so as to make me a better biker. Food tastes better after a big bike ride. Most of my friends are bikers. People I hang out with ride bikes or work at bike shops. I could talk about frames, handlebars, wheels, etc. for hours and hours and not get bored. Ok .. so I think I’ve established that I’m a bikeaholic.
Back to Fall being my favorite time of year. I live in Provo Utah located in the heart of the Wasatch Mountains. These mountains are covered with a mixture of pine, aspen and scrub oak. Every year in late September the leaves change. First the scrub oak starts with a sharp orange and red, followed by the aspens green to yellow. Combine that with cyan and light green needles of the pines and you get a symphony of colors that truly are breath taking. The trails that I usually ride on in the summer turn from dusty brown to a carpet of yellow and red. The temperatures are mild and the scenery is spectacular. Sometimes I’ll come around a bend on a dark and shaded trail covered with leaves and come upon a single scrub oak being lit up by the sun, just screaming “look at me, look at me!” I stop and gladly oblige.
I’m with my kids this weekend and we had big plans to hike to the summit of Mount Timpanogas today. This is about a 6 hour hike that I enjoy doing about once a year. This is the best time to attempt it. The problem was that yesterday we all did a 5 k run for a neighbor that had been diagnosed with cancer which left us all tired and sore. I just couldn’t bring myself to roust my kids out of bed this morning to go hike on sore legs. I wish I could sleep like a teenager, but like most mornings I was awake by 6:30. I hung out for as long as my addiction would allow and then packed up my bike and headed for the high country. I put together about a 35 mile loop thru some of the most beautiful trail in the area. I brought my camera along hoping to capture some of what I experienced. I don’t think I quite got it, but I’ll keep trying for future blog posts. Now, as I sit at my computer and type this I feel tired and content, full of endorphins and the beauty that the world has to give.
Now what will be my next bike adventure?
-Kenny
September 23, 2010
Digiscrap-apalooza with us!
YOU are invited!
Digiscrap-apalooza is a day long workshop at the Riviera Hotel & Casino on April 2, 2011, with a reception held the night before. Classes will be taught by some of the industries leading professionals.
This is the PERFECT excuse to get to the strip!
Come hang out with us... it's so much more exciting than a virtual chat!
Brought to you by Scrap Orchard
Convention Chatter
Digiscrap-apalooza Home Page
Grab a friend, or just come and play with us! April 2, 2011! The first 50 Registrants are entered for a chance to win the iPad! So HURRY UP!
Pre-Registration rates end November 7th!
This registration fee is non-refundable. It is transferable upon written notification of transfer- required at least 5 days prior to the convention.
Digiscrap-apalooza will be held at the Riviera Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada - April 1 & 2, 2011. There will be a reception on April 1st starting at 5:00 pm (local time). We will have a full day of classes on April 2nd beginning at 9:00 am (local time). The convention registration fees include a continental breakfast and a lunch on April 2nd. As we get closer to the convention, we will provide you with more information regarding the convention agenda.
Register HERE
September 22, 2010
Image Size and Resolution
Image Size
Image Size is the size of your original digital photo file, measured in pixels and DPI (Dots Per Inch). What is a pixel? A pixel is a small square dot. DPI refers to the number of dots (pixels) per inch. Why is this important? Well, if an image is too small, you might not be able to order a large size print or other photo product. A general rule of thumb for image size versus print size is: the image size should be at least the size of the print you want multiplied by 300, at 300 DPI. For example, if you want to order a 4x6 print, the image size should be 1200 pixels (4 x 300) by 1800 pixels (6 x 300) at 300 DPI. If the image size was half of that (600 by 900), then the 4x6 print would likely come out distorted or pixilated if you were to order a print.
Camera Settings
Decide in advance what is more important: image quality or room on your memory card. You can set your camera to take photos that are larger or smaller in size. If you know you will only be printing 4x6 photos, then you can reduce the image quality, which allows you to store more photos on your memory card. If you will be printing enlargements or other photo products like photo books, then keep the setting on "high" for higher quality images. The image sizes will be larger and you will not be able to store as many on your memory card at one time. Also, set the file type as "jpeg" if your camera allows you to control that detail. You might have a "tiff" option, but it is not necessary to save the photos as "tiff" files, and it will only take up more room on your memory card.
If you have a point and shoot camera, open your main menu, and find the setting for "image quality" (or something similar). Usually, the options are "low," "medium," and "high." Choose "high" for higher quality (larger) photos. If you have an SLR camera, you probably have additional options. Just stick to high quality jpeg images, unless you know you will be doing extensive image editing and post-production. In that case, you might want to shoot RAW files.
Resolution
The resolution of your photo is directly impacted by the image size. The more pixels your photos have, the higher their resolution is.
When you upload photos to your online account, you are given three upload options: "Regular," "Fast," and "Fastest." When you choose "Fast" or "Fastest," the photos are compressed, so the resolution will be less than the original photo file. So, if you are just uploading to order 4x6 prints, "Fastest" will be fine. But, if you wish to order enlargements, photo books, calendars, and other photo products, choose the "Regular" speed, which uploads the photos at their original resolution.
Once the photos are uploaded, you will notice three bars for each photo in your account. If all three bars are green, that means that the resolution of the photo that is in the account is sufficient enough to order just about anything on the site. If the bars are all red, you have uploaded a low resolution photo. Try to find the original photo file and check the size. If the size is sufficient enough to order prints (based on the rule we mentioned above about multiplying the desired print size by 300 and comparing to the actual image size), re-upload the photo at "Regular" upload speed. Photos with two or three red bars will generate poor quality prints, especially if you are trying to order anything larger than 4x6 prints.
We also will double check the resolution on our end. If we catch a low res file when printing, we always stop and notify you. We want you to be happy with your prints.
Additional Tips
Now that you understand image size and resolution a bit more, and understand why they are important when working in your online photo account, here are a few more extra tips about image size and resolution:
Image Size is the size of your original digital photo file, measured in pixels and DPI (Dots Per Inch). What is a pixel? A pixel is a small square dot. DPI refers to the number of dots (pixels) per inch. Why is this important? Well, if an image is too small, you might not be able to order a large size print or other photo product. A general rule of thumb for image size versus print size is: the image size should be at least the size of the print you want multiplied by 300, at 300 DPI. For example, if you want to order a 4x6 print, the image size should be 1200 pixels (4 x 300) by 1800 pixels (6 x 300) at 300 DPI. If the image size was half of that (600 by 900), then the 4x6 print would likely come out distorted or pixilated if you were to order a print.
Camera Settings
Decide in advance what is more important: image quality or room on your memory card. You can set your camera to take photos that are larger or smaller in size. If you know you will only be printing 4x6 photos, then you can reduce the image quality, which allows you to store more photos on your memory card. If you will be printing enlargements or other photo products like photo books, then keep the setting on "high" for higher quality images. The image sizes will be larger and you will not be able to store as many on your memory card at one time. Also, set the file type as "jpeg" if your camera allows you to control that detail. You might have a "tiff" option, but it is not necessary to save the photos as "tiff" files, and it will only take up more room on your memory card.
If you have a point and shoot camera, open your main menu, and find the setting for "image quality" (or something similar). Usually, the options are "low," "medium," and "high." Choose "high" for higher quality (larger) photos. If you have an SLR camera, you probably have additional options. Just stick to high quality jpeg images, unless you know you will be doing extensive image editing and post-production. In that case, you might want to shoot RAW files.
Resolution
The resolution of your photo is directly impacted by the image size. The more pixels your photos have, the higher their resolution is.
When you upload photos to your online account, you are given three upload options: "Regular," "Fast," and "Fastest." When you choose "Fast" or "Fastest," the photos are compressed, so the resolution will be less than the original photo file. So, if you are just uploading to order 4x6 prints, "Fastest" will be fine. But, if you wish to order enlargements, photo books, calendars, and other photo products, choose the "Regular" speed, which uploads the photos at their original resolution.
Once the photos are uploaded, you will notice three bars for each photo in your account. If all three bars are green, that means that the resolution of the photo that is in the account is sufficient enough to order just about anything on the site. If the bars are all red, you have uploaded a low resolution photo. Try to find the original photo file and check the size. If the size is sufficient enough to order prints (based on the rule we mentioned above about multiplying the desired print size by 300 and comparing to the actual image size), re-upload the photo at "Regular" upload speed. Photos with two or three red bars will generate poor quality prints, especially if you are trying to order anything larger than 4x6 prints.
We also will double check the resolution on our end. If we catch a low res file when printing, we always stop and notify you. We want you to be happy with your prints.
Additional Tips
Now that you understand image size and resolution a bit more, and understand why they are important when working in your online photo account, here are a few more extra tips about image size and resolution:
- Most computer screens display photos at 72 DPI. That means the printed photo will look different than how it appears on your computer screen.
- If you crop a photo too much (zoom in too much), it will always look pixilated and distorted, no matter how large the image size is.
- Once you take the photo, you cannot increase the size or resolution by increasing the number of pixels in any photo editing program. If you wish to increase the resolution or file size, you must do so by adjusting your camera settings before you take any more photos.
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