I've been frustrated over the years by the limits of the images sizes here and elsewhere, which I completely understand and support--I am an admin here.:tb-biggrin: I've been occasionally accused of over-Photoshopping my images. When it comes to extending foregrounds and backgrounds, yes, I do that. But when it comes to faking my modeling, no way! I've known about 100% cropping for many years. That is, if an image is limited to 640 pixels wide, then I take a 640 pixel wide selection from a larger image (in my case 3008 wide), and post that selection in a new image. That way you will see the actual pixels in the image. I think it finally shows the level of detail that I am modeling at. It certainly shows all the flaws, too. This cutter was nearly destroyed when I fell on it in June 2006, and hasn't been fully repaired even yet. I intend to post more "actual pixel" posts here, and on my blog. I think it will help us analyze our images more accurately.
When doing close up model photography detail is key. I've got a 24" monitor, 1920x1200. I zoom in until 1 pixel = 1 pixel on the screen. Even my digital rebel (I need to upgrade) produces an image that won't fit on the screen at that size. To see the 1:1 detail in that view is amazing, and does also show off every flaw. I know I helped turn a few people on to Helicon Focus a while back. Have any of you looked at HDR images as well? It's another way of bringing out more detail, this time by taking detail out of the shadows and overexposed areas of the photo. I've just started to play with it. Consider a 100% crop of a helicon processed HDR image. Wow, detail even the human eye can't see!
640 Club A thread for un-resized 640 pixel wide images. That is: Take a picture with any number of pixels 640 and over Crop a 640 wide portion of it Notice the detail Post it here I'll start with: My morning grain train with the sun glinting off of it. FP45 shell by Grant Sar Assembled and painted by Hemi Fantasy paint scheme by me.
GN GP20 high nose. kitbashed from a LL GP20 and atlas GP7 my missing rear headlight lens, and wrinkles in my white decal Photo by Gary Rose
Or consider O-scale, which in 100% crops may enjoy an unfair advantage over fine models crafted in the more popular scales. This particular model started life as a P&D Hobby Shop F3 kit. All the best
wait a sec.. is this the same concept as the 640 crop thread? :tb-confused: 640 Club - TrainBoard.com
Those two are 100% pixel crops, per the title of the thread. The model just happens to be in a slightly larger scale.
Oh, ok,thanks. I don't think I ever stick my head in this forum. Guess it is about time I do. By the way my thread was inspired by Pete's postings in "weekend photo fun"
Hi Steve, There's a lot of good posts here. I guess I'm encouraging people to get out of their normal forums and look around.
Here's the argument for 1:1 crops or, in Steve's words, the 640 club. This is about a 2200 pixel wide original, with the center selection about 640 pixels wide. That is, I cropped a 640 wide image out of the original: This is the same selection, as close as I could make it, of the same center section of an image that was 640 pixels wide total, instead of 2200 pixels wide. In other words, I took the 2200 pixel wide image, shrunk it to 640 pixels, then cropped out an image equivalent to the above: The process of shrinking/expanding photos does affect sharpness. It you took the same original off the net, you'd probably get the bottom example, rather than the original.
How do you "select" exactly 640x480 pixels out of a larger image, say 1600x1200? I only have Irfanview. Is that a Photoshop feature? I've cropped images out of the center of a larger photo, but there's no control I can see on the pixel count.
It's not exactly precise even in Photoshop. I set my crop dimensions for 640 x 480 pixels. I set my rulers for pixels. Then I draw a crop box 640 pixels wide (and thus 480 deep). I move it around until I've got what I want. Yes I may get 642 or 638 pixels wide, but it usually that close or closer.
I don't have the latest Photoshop, but you can fix the size of a crop. Here's instructions for one version older, I think... Cropping Photos Tutorial Should be able to figure it out for the new version.
I've been following this thread, but this only just now occurred to me. Many years ago, before I got into electronics, I was a photo major. I got out of it because it was a good field to starve in. Anyway, what you're calling a 100% crop my old teacher used to call "cropping in the camera". We had an assignment where we had to shoot a scene with a 4x5 view camera, then moving the camera but maintaining the angle, shoot "crops" of the original scene. A few years after I'd left that school, I went back to visit. I as both flattered and amazed to find that my old teacher had just given her "cropping in the camera" lecture, and had used my series as an example. My cropping in the camera series was of a train headed by a steam loco at L.A.'s Travel Town. I shot my scene from the front of the train at about a 45 degree angle. Then I moved the camera down the side of the train, shooting the cab, drivers, boxcar door, trucks, etc. down to the caboose. I wish I knew what happened to the negatives. <sigh>
My original pics are 3648 pixels wide. Usually I resize them to 1200 or - for TrainBoard - 800 pixels wide. And - IMPORTANT - I use some compression. This way I get from 3648 pixels with 4400KB only 120KB at 800 pixels and 10% or even only 80KB at 1200 pixels with 60%. The last ones are the big pictures at my homepage. I like big pictures. My "thumbs" are 350 pixels only, with 60%. Sometimes I also use to cut the picture, to omit all the fascia, ceiling ... Wolfgang
For those of you who can't spend the $$$ for Photoshop, check out Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo X2. I have both Photoshop and Paint Shop Pro, and have used both for several years. The Corel product does what Photoshop does, is easer to use and about one eighth the price. And before anyone gets defensive on Photoshop, yes it is bigger, better and the professional program, but I find that what I do can be done easier and quicker using Paint Shop Pro. I haven't used CS in a long time.
Don't forget IrfanView - Official Homepage - one of the most popular viewers worldwide It's free. I use it. Wolfgang
100-precent crop tutorial Leo, thanks for the link to the Elements tutorial! Although 100% crop is a simple concept, the more I read about it, the more confused I got. This short tutorial did the trick for me, and it works just fine with newer versions of PS Elements. Great - now I gotta repaint everything! Scott The original (N-scale) shot at about a ga-zillian pixels. Lets try a 100% crop of the checkerboard, 640 X 427 px... Ouch - now I remember why I stopped painting with an atomizer! Maybe I'll forget about getting a macro lens.
