Need Advice on Cameras and Photography

[Edward]

In my entry foyer my dad had a wallpaper of an island and a beach scene. It looks ok, but I am more of a mountain man than a beach person. I wondered if I could have some custom wallpaper made for the house and change the beach scene. There are places that do this. It would only be 350 bucks to have mine made. I uploaded my nice picture from Colorado and they kicked it back to me. The quality was not high enough to be able to blow it uop and have it look good.

I have read and read about megapixels, DPI, PPI and all sorts of stuff until I am thoroughly confused. Ok so when my kids were growing up and we were taking lots of pictures...this was before HD cameras so I don't know what camera and picture quality I would need to have this done.

The particulars of the wallpaper will be 11 ft wide by 8 ft tall. This has two inches added each way for trimming it in and so forth. I *think* I may need a 20 MP camera to be able to have this done to that size...but I am not sure. I also read that it can be done by cheating with a lower MP camera by resizing it in photoshop or something, but I do not know for sure or exactly how...

Can anyone help me and tell me what I can realistically do and maybe it will come out ok? Or would I need a 1000 dollar camera, which cannot happen, lol.

I want pictures of Colorado for a wallpaper because I miss Colorado. I know someone out there who has a 12 MP camera, and will get the shots for me...but is 12 MP enough to blow up that much?

 

[Edward]

Here is the picture that I tried to use, and they rejected.



My understanding is that, a lower pixelated print can be used and look good...because of the distance involved when viewing it? That up close the imperfections would be noticeable but it would look better the further away one views it.

Is this picture type one that would lend itself to such an endeavor and still look pretty good on the wall? I assume that picture content (the subject) may affect it also?
So would a 12 MP pic of something similar to this really look bad, or it might be alright because of the picture itself?

 

[JohnDB]

Depending upon the format you sent them the picture with... you might be ok.
12mp is going to be just fine.

But there really isn't a way to email them the picture...the file size is too big. It won't attach to an email.
Send them the pic on a memory stick or card...then look at what they can do.

 

[Edward]

Depending upon the format you sent them the picture with... you might be ok.
12mp is going to be just fine.

But there really isn't a way to email them the picture...the file size is too big. It won't attach to an email.
Send them the pic on a memory stick or card...then look at what they can do.

I went ahead and called the company that makes this wallpaper and asked them. It is not an email with the picture, I went to their site and uploaded it. She said I can upload a file that large but it will take a few minutes to complete. I asked her what camera can I use, and her answe was that for my wallpaper mural of 11' wide X 8' tall it would have to be....

5280 pixels x 3840 pixels = 11'w x 8'h mural

Ok, that's fine, but it still doesn't tell the technology challenged which camera. Isn't a mega pixel a million pixels...per inch? Something like that? So how's this translate into something i can understand and check camera stats with?

 

[JohnDB]

I went ahead and called the company that makes this wallpaper and asked them. It is not an email with the picture, I went to their site and uploaded it. She said I can upload a file that large but it will take a few minutes to complete. I asked her what camera can I use, and her answe was that for my wallpaper mural of 11' wide X 8' tall it would have to be....

5280 pixels x 3840 pixels = 11'w x 8'h mural

Ok, that's fine, but it still doesn't tell the technology challenged which camera. Isn't a mega pixel a million pixels...per inch? Something like that? So how's this translate into something i can understand and check camera stats with?

She's telling you that you need a 20 megapixel photograph for her to make a quality mural.

Your original picture won't work.

Just like the old paper cameras... they used a special wide format low number film (100-200) to make the pics be able to blow up to enormous size.

 

[Knotical]

It also depends on the type of program that is used, and file type the picture is saved as. There are vector based programs that are able to increase the size of a picture with minimal distortion, compared to pixel based programs where the only sizing that can be done is from large to small. So, without the ability of using a vector based program to resize your picture you will basically need to find someone who has a digital camera (dslr) that can take pictures with a resolution of 20mp or better.

 

[Edward]

She's telling you that you need a 20 megapixel photograph for her to make a quality mural.

Your original picture won't work.

Just like the old paper cameras... they used a special wide format low number film (100-200) to make the pics be able to blow up to enormous size.

That I understand! 20 MP then. Ok, thanks, Brother!

 

[Edward]

It also depends on the type of program that is used, and file type the picture is saved as. There are vector based programs that are able to increase the size of a picture with minimal distortion, compared to pixel based programs where the only sizing that can be done is from large to small. So, without the ability of using a vector based program to resize your picture you will basically need to find someone who has a digital camera (dslr) that can take pictures with a resolution of 20mp or better.

Uhh, uh...vector? You lost me Brother. I understand get a 20 MP camera though!
She sent me a bunch of details that I don't really get too much from but it does contain a list of usable file types. It's a long list.

 

[Edward]

These file types

.jpegs, .ai, .eps, .psd, .tiff and .psb.

 

[Knotical]

Uhh, uh...vector? You lost me Brother. I understand get a 20 MP camera though!
She sent me a bunch of details that I don't really get too much from but it does contain a list of usable file types. It's a long list.

Using a vector based program basically means you can enlarge an image without much resolution loss. In contrast when using a pixel based software you are simply making small pixels larger, which means you lose resolution.

Incidentally, with how technology is being developed you may be able to find a camera for not too expensive that will take pictures at the resolution you are looking for.

 

[Edward]

Using a vector based program basically means you can enlarge an image without much resolution loss. In contrast when using a pixel based software you are simply making small pixels larger, which means you lose resolution.

Incidentally, with how technology is being developed you may be able to find a camera for not too expensive that will take pictures at the resolution you are looking for.

My friend who lives in Colorado still, has a 12 MP camera and offered to get me some shots if 12 is good enough for me to use.

Can a 12 MP camera be enlarged digitally somehow with a proper program to be useful for this you think?