yssirk123 Loc: New Jersey

One thing you might try is Topaz Gigapixel AI which can enlarge an image to 6x, which in this case would be an 18x12 at 300 ppi (which you wouldn't need for canvas). There's a free trial version available, so no harm, no foul if you don't like it.

Back when it was introduced, I downloaded the trial version. I took an image from a 24MP D750 and enlarged it to over 7' on the long side and it looked great, even viewing it at 100%.

Screamin Scott Loc: Marshfield Wi, Baltimore Md, now Dallas Ga

Make sure your computer meets at least the minimum requirements first though...

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

Yes, cropping to a smaller size discards everything beyond the new crop border. Resizing the image with interpolation can work. Resizing the image using a fractal-based program can work.

This is your first image resized/interpolated in Photoshop to 2400x1760, for a 4.22mp image.

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genocolo Loc: Vail and Gasparilla Island

Looks great don’t u think? Thanks for showing me what can be done.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

What is the megapixel count for your camera? If the width x height of the file in megapixels is less than the image size you're getting out of the camera, are you recording small JPEGs? Most cameras have a choice of image dimensions. (Calculation example: a 24MP camera makes images that are 6000x4000 pixels. It might have an option to save 4500x3000 pixel (that's 13.5MP) or 3000x2000 pixel (that's 6MP) files.)

In most circumstances, there is little point to saving images with less than maximum size in both pixels and file size. Memory cards are inexpensive.

To maximize resolution:

Get closer or use a longer lens. Crop less.

Use more megapixels.

Use the lens' "sweet spot aperture" for performance.

Save the largest file size and highest megapixel count image you can.

Don't confuse focus, depth of field, resolution, and sharpness. They're different four very different but inter-related concepts. They work together to help shape what we call quality.

Focus is the point within a scene where the image is its clearest and crispest. There's a technical definition for this involving the point of smallest circles of confusion, but only a physics professor cares. Suffice it to say, focus is the point within the depth of the scene where you adjusted the lens for maximum clarity.

Depth of field is the *range* of acceptable focus within the depth of a scene, usually referenced to what is acceptable at an 8"x10" to 9x12" print size.

Resolution is how many details you have. It's directly affected by the camera's megapixel count. The more megapixels used to portray your subject, the higher the resolution of detail. Other factors include sensor sensel size and aperture diameter and lens quality. Cropping lowers the absolute resolution of any point in the remaining image. Effectively, cropping is enlarging an image and then cutting out a part of it that will be viewed closely. To end up with enough detail, you must start with more than you need.

You need MORE resolution for images to be viewed closely, and LESS for images that will be viewed at a distance. A billboard can have 15 PPI resolution, and still look sharp from 500 yards away! But a 4x5 or 4x6 inch print needs at least 300 PPI, and an 8x10 or 8x12 needs at least 240 PPI to maximize visible detail. If you're viewing a group photo of 600 people, from 12", you need 300 PPI FROM THE CAMERA (or film scan).

Normal viewing distance for prints is 1x to 1.5x the diagonal distance of the print, except for that last example.

Sharpness is the apparent degree of *combined* clarity, contrast, detail, and focus.

saxman71 Loc: Wenatchee, WA

Personally, I think this is a pretty good shot and if it was mine I would crop it vertically (portrait) and keep all the bird from its feet to its beak in the final image. Even if this was shot in RAW you may be trying to drill down into the image too much.

Notorious T.O.D. Loc: Harrisburg, North Carolina

An example of resolution from my friend that shoots a Nikon 850.He showed me a photo of a 75’ long train locomotive with some surrounding scenery. You could zoom into a bolt head and clearly see the hexagonal head on the bolt. Pretty impressive...

lrm Loc: Sarasota, FL

The technical info you have received is somewhat correct. BUT, from a practical position -- what size did you want to print. I have 8x10, 11x14 and 16x20 prints where the printer said not enough resolution. I said - Print it- Guess what , they are heavily cropped (just like your head shots) and came out fine for wall mounting. I have over 50 such prints hanging all around my house. They all look great. I say crop away, get a test print and see if you like it.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

Yep. It really depends on viewing distance and subject size in the frame. A head-and-shoulders portrait made on a 6MP camera from 2004 can be printed to 40" by 60" and still look acceptably sharp at a normal viewing range of between six and nine feet. But a 6MP image of a group of 250 people may not be great at any print size, viewed from any distance. For that size group, I'd want all the pixels I could get! Viewers will be pixel-peeping it to see individual faces.

therwol Loc: USA

I was going to say that if the "full size" image is only 9 MP out of a 24 MP sensor, then the settings on the camera should be checked, particularly the image dimensions. The "full size" picture doesn't have the expected 3:2 ratio in the image and isn't using the entire sensor. (Assuming you didn't post a cropped image of a true original.)

PhotogHobbyist Loc: Bradford, PA

A 1.5 crop factor means the crop sensor is 2/3 the size of the FF or the FF is 1.5 times larger not 2.25 times as the 4/9 would indicate. That would be calculated by 36/3 = 12 and 12X2 = 24 MP, not 16.

CatMarley Loc: North Carolina

Why would you crop that image? It is a much better image as is, the body and context of the bird are much more interesting and a better composition than just the head is.

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

The fish looks worried.

But, seriously, all you need to do is "up rez" the image, which can be done with many different image editing software programs.

Because you are printing on canvas, which has a lot of texture, you can "get away" with some loss of detail and gain in pixelization or "granularity" that occurs when an image is highly cropped, enlarged and re-interpolated beyond it's original resolution. If you were printing on smooth matte paper where fine detail is critical, you wouldn't be able to do as much.

In the first example below I increased the resolution of the cropped image from 72 ppi to 300 ppi. It's an odd size (not sure what size you were planning to print), originally 1098 x 803 pixels. After I "up rezzed" it, it's 4575 x 3354 pixels. In other words, it's a little more than a 4X re-interpolation. I also applied some selective sharpening to recapture some of the fine detail and boosted saturation a bit.

The second example is an alternative crop, also with increased size, though not nearly as much... 240 ppi to 300 ppi and sized to 16x20 inches (4800 x 6000 pixels), or due to the crop approx. 2X the native resolution of your camera (which is also 4800 x 6000 pixels when uncropped). This is re-interpolated too, just not nearly as much as your tighter crop. Once again I did a bit of selective sharpening for fine detail. The color of this version is already pretty saturated so I didn't boost it at all.

If you look at the most magnified, download version you will see a lot of "granularity" in both these images. However, viewing them on a computer monitor exaggerates these higher resolution versions quite a bit (they're sized for printing, not for online viewing). Printing either on canvas would "hide" that granularity in the canvas' textured surface. The less cropped version below would even print pretty well on smooth matte paper.

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clherms

Thank you to all who responded with details as I found this super educational!

flyboy61 Loc: The Great American Desert

When I enlarged my photos for competition, I often get that message. The images have been downloaded at full size, with minimal cropping. I just ignore the message, and none of my larger than 11 X 14 (our contest requires strange sizes) I have no problem...so far...except for the annoying "autofix" button, which makes the prints darker than wished! Fortunately, they have an "ignore" button that disables the feature! Costco does good work, for reasonable prices!