Think of photo resolution as “image quality”. Put into some very basic terms, resolution is the quality of the image. As the resolution goes up, the image becomes clearer. It becomes sharper, more defined, and more detailed as well. Why is that? Because there’s more information in the same small space. Your computer, laptop and your smartphone all have image resolutions. There are a certain number of dots in the space that is the screen. Put even more simply, the more dots you jam into the width and height of the screen, the higher the resolution. The less dots, the lower the resolution.
But there’s something that lots of people don’t know about when you upload photos to a social media site like Facebook or Instagram. Every time you post a photo to social media, it loses a tiny bit of quality. It’s not really noticeable for a single upload, but if you save and repost the photo over and over, the quality loss becomes extreme. It’s a concept known as “generation loss”. This is why your reposted photos start looking fuzzy, blurry or even getting weird dark spots that aren’t there on the original file (or upload in this case). I'll also note here that most social media applications also compress as you upload, which also can alter the look of your photos. So, how to fix this? First off, use the original photo files when putting up photos. For those of you who have worked with me, I normally will send along a file that is marked –is or –de. I use those codes to denote that this is a file that has been sized appropriately to be used on the web (social media). It is sized to upload quickly and also within the standards that are used by most online applications. I know that our tendency is just to want to grab the photo off the web and post again (or worse, take a screenshot with your phone and then repost), but your photos are going to start to look worse for wear because of generation loss.If promoters need photos, they should ask you for the original file for their posting needs because then they will be getting the best resolution (and image quality!) for their online advertising. This is also why it's better to share from an original posting as opposed to copying and reposting yourself! So, please think twice before just grabbing a shot from the web and using it over and over again! Your beautiful professional photos will not do you justice – just take a moment and post your original file or send it along to who needs it. Occasionally, I realize that I have two very different professional lives.
Almost everyone knows that I’m a photographer – but sometimes it becomes apparent to me that not everyone knows the range or the extent of what I do in my professional life. So I’d like to share some of what makes up my work life. I actually have two studios names that I work under – Insomniac Studios and The Dancers Eye. When I am home in Orlando, Florida, I do the majority of my work under the Insomniac Studios banner. It is primarily portrait work – either in studio or on location. This work ranges from professional headshots, to cosplay, to families - and even engagements and weddings. I tend to work with a lot of performers. My background in theater and dance gives me a good understanding of the unique needs of performers. Professional photos are a very important part of marketing yourself to get gigs, and also help to maintain the public image you desire. I also shoot a wide variety of live performance as well – from burlesque, vaudeville, bands, to pole dancers… you name it -- I’ve probably shot it. My other studio – which takes me on the road and away from home a lot – is The Dancers Eye. The Dancers Eye was born out of a want to differentiate my dance photography from my other portrait work. From a very young age, dance has always been an important part of my life. I started belly dancing almost 20 years ago, and it quickly became a passion for me. I also loved taking photos of dancers, and wanted to share my love of the dance through my lens – and to serve my dance community. The majority of the work I do with The Dancers Eye is Belly Dance photography, but from time to time, I do also photograph other dance styles. Some of the other styles that I have photographed recently are Flamenco, Ballet, Scottish, Modern Dance, and Hip Hop. I travel all over the country to a wide variety of dance events, offering portrait sessions either on-site, outdoors, or in-studio. Depending on the type of event, I do also offer live performance or competition photography as well. I always have a current schedule of my dance travel commitments posted – I am about to kick off my busy summer schedule in the next two weeks: http://www.thedancerseye.com/calendar.html All of this translates into a very busy schedule, but I love what I do so much. I’m grateful each day that I’m able to get up, put the camera in my hands, and make photos for you. I’d love to share both sides of my body of work with you, so please check out Insomniac Studios and The Dancers Eye on Facebook, or on my webpages at: www.insomniacstudios.net or www.thedancereye.com. There's also a taste of both sides of my work in the gallery above. And THANK YOU to all of my clients from over the course of my career. In whatever forum I have shot you in – I want you to know that you are valued and appreciated. I hope to see you again soon! This is from my very first "Destroy The Dress" shoot this week - we had so much fun!
My client is a baker and a burlesque performer and wanted to say this about the shoot: In a true act of catharsis, a former bride celebrated her one year anniversary of divorce by destroying her one-precious wedding dress with help from her closest and most supportive "divorce-maids." She chose cupcakes for the method of destruction as an homage to her love of making cupcakes and other baked goods for all her hungry friends. I was very humbled to be a part of her goodbye to her past and a hello to her bright new future! |
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