Keith
The best camera is one that still works!
I'm not sure how many people know about the 'Inside Out' project started by a French artist named JR. In simplified terms he takes photographs of people mainly in the streets and pastes them in huge dimensions in a variety of unusual places ... often billboard size or larger. You really have to watch the video on the 'TED' site or the 'Inside Out' site to get a handle on what he's all about and what his aims are for this project. He started off as a graffiti artist in Paris.
The creative arts institute that I do a little work for has decided to get on board with this project in a major way and have offered me a fee to produce images for them that can be used for their version of what JR is currently doing in various locations around the globe. They have the facilities to print up to bilboard sized images and want the people in the urban village surrounding the college photographed and if they're willing, have their faces spread around the community in a similar manner. The village is quite big and has a large Muslim population and this is the group they want me to concentrate on.
When I approach individuals it will be as a representative of the Queensland University of Technology who will supply me with whatever documentation I need to get each subject's release if they're willing to participate.
In the video of JR photographing subjects he appears to be using a Canon DSLR (couldn't tell which model) which has me wondering how many megapixels you actually need to be able to print to this size ... resolution is not really that important for the final image because they may wind up on a flight of steps or on the side of a garbage truck, or pasted on the side of a vacant building ... who knows? Having sold my soul recently to get my D700 I'm seriously wondering if it's going to be up to the job ... I'd have to suspect maybe not but I'm certainly in no position to be able to buy anything better at the moment!
Some feedback and advice would be much appreciated here.
The creative arts institute that I do a little work for has decided to get on board with this project in a major way and have offered me a fee to produce images for them that can be used for their version of what JR is currently doing in various locations around the globe. They have the facilities to print up to bilboard sized images and want the people in the urban village surrounding the college photographed and if they're willing, have their faces spread around the community in a similar manner. The village is quite big and has a large Muslim population and this is the group they want me to concentrate on.
When I approach individuals it will be as a representative of the Queensland University of Technology who will supply me with whatever documentation I need to get each subject's release if they're willing to participate.
In the video of JR photographing subjects he appears to be using a Canon DSLR (couldn't tell which model) which has me wondering how many megapixels you actually need to be able to print to this size ... resolution is not really that important for the final image because they may wind up on a flight of steps or on the side of a garbage truck, or pasted on the side of a vacant building ... who knows? Having sold my soul recently to get my D700 I'm seriously wondering if it's going to be up to the job ... I'd have to suspect maybe not but I'm certainly in no position to be able to buy anything better at the moment!
Some feedback and advice would be much appreciated here.
lynnb
Mentor
Hi Keith,
Nick Rains is local to you in Brisbane and has experience in the print sizes you are talking about. Might be worth contacting him.
Regards,
Nick Rains is local to you in Brisbane and has experience in the print sizes you are talking about. Might be worth contacting him.
Regards,
lynnb
Mentor
Link to a useful calculator for billboard size enlargements (scroll down to subheading near bottom of page - When Resolution Becomes Important):
http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/digital-photo-enlargement.htm
http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/digital-photo-enlargement.htm
Sparrow
Mentor
I've had my eye on that French chap for a while, still undecided about him. I went from "wow sensational" to "Banksy wannabe" and I'm still not sure some of the work is visually splendid if a bit repetitive, but he seems just too pretentious ...
P
Peter S
Guest
Keith, all depends on viewing distance and required print size. You probably are fine with 30-75 ppi and your D700 is more than suitable for that. I saw JR's prints all over Amsterdam 1 or 2 years ago and was not impressed. Portraits shot up close with a wide angle so that there is a lot of distortion which creates a "comic" look. The juxtaposition of Israeli and Palestine people, resembling each other in the way they looked funny, may have done something in Israel/Palestine, but outside that context it becomes very gimmicky I think.
Sparrow
Mentor
I have a 48"x72" print shot on 135 with a cv 12mm and there is a spot one can view, around 3-4' it where it just comes to life ... I can see why he would go for a wide angle the odd look may just be due to the viewing distance
Keith
The best camera is one that still works!
Irrespective of what anyone thinks of JR's work, the curator at QUT who has dangled this carrot in front of me, loves it. 
Sparrow
Mentor
A man's gotta do ...
Sparrow
Mentor
... thinking about it the limitation is going to be computer capacity and subject type.
If there is no movement involved you could use a 135 and take a 36x24 frame matrix and stitch it together to get a 15,552 mp print ... if you can find a computer to run it.
If it's moving then you're looking at those interpolation programs to enlarge it .... of which I know nothing
If there is no movement involved you could use a 135 and take a 36x24 frame matrix and stitch it together to get a 15,552 mp print ... if you can find a computer to run it.
If it's moving then you're looking at those interpolation programs to enlarge it .... of which I know nothing
Keith
The best camera is one that still works!
I'd be stupid to say "No thanks!" but accepting does place me in rather unfamiliar territory ... I'm still somewhat of a digital luddite!
I thought briefly about shooting in MF with black and white film and paying for high quality scans but the price of scanning at this level in Oz is outrageous!
I thought briefly about shooting in MF with black and white film and paying for high quality scans but the price of scanning at this level in Oz is outrageous!
Sparrow
Mentor
perhaps decide on the subject first?
ChrisN
Striving
It does sound like a job for medium format.
Time to upgrade the Pentax 67 for a 645D! Forty megapixels should be enough, with upressing.
Time to upgrade the Pentax 67 for a 645D! Forty megapixels should be enough, with upressing.
bobbyrab
Well-known
Why don't you find out what the poster dimensions are, set the largest file you can get from the d700 to the poster dimensions, but just print an A3 size section of the stretched image and see how it looks, and from what distance does it come together.
Keith
The best camera is one that still works!
I'm not worried about that side of it strangely Stewart ... that will just happen. Though I do sort of have a plan and some sketchy ideas whirling around inside my head!
I was looking at that link Lynn b gave me about calculating potential image size ... that kind of made my head whirl too!
I was looking at that link Lynn b gave me about calculating potential image size ... that kind of made my head whirl too!
Keith
The best camera is one that still works!
That makes sense ... thanks, I'll try that some time over the coming week.
At this stage though I'm not totally sure how big they intend to print ... I know they have some very powerful digital projection gear they use at night within the complex and I think they do intend utilising this as well.
This whole thing was only dropped on me a couple of nights ago when I was delivering a disc to the curator's place ... she lives near by.
J.M.
-
What would JR do?
Seriously. Get in touch with him through the Inside Out page.
I'm sure he'd be thrilled to help with your tech questions.
Seriously. Get in touch with him through the Inside Out page.
I'm sure he'd be thrilled to help with your tech questions.
lynnb
Mentor
I do have a feeling from my readings that the D700 files will be sufficient provided that:
- they are correctly exposed, sharp files to start with (you already have Zeiss optics and the necessary skill)
- the printer uses a commercial quality RIP (Raster Image Processor - more powerful alternative to a printer driver). A commercial RIP in the hands of an experienced operator will give better results than CS5 and a printer driver.
- viewing distances are appropriate for the print size (a billboard image is very pixellated when viewed up close)
I suggest you find out who the printer will be and talk to them. Ask how they want the files. Do they want processed but original-size unsharpened files so they can do the uprezzing and sharpening with commercial grade software?
You've raised an interesting topic. The most useful information I've found that might help you is here:
http://layersmagazine.com/large-format-printing.html
Regards,
- they are correctly exposed, sharp files to start with (you already have Zeiss optics and the necessary skill)
- the printer uses a commercial quality RIP (Raster Image Processor - more powerful alternative to a printer driver). A commercial RIP in the hands of an experienced operator will give better results than CS5 and a printer driver.
- viewing distances are appropriate for the print size (a billboard image is very pixellated when viewed up close)
I suggest you find out who the printer will be and talk to them. Ask how they want the files. Do they want processed but original-size unsharpened files so they can do the uprezzing and sharpening with commercial grade software?
You've raised an interesting topic. The most useful information I've found that might help you is here:
http://layersmagazine.com/large-format-printing.html
Regards,
Keith
The best camera is one that still works!
I'd love to ... I really do like to test the waters here because although we're all photographers there's an incredible amount of diversity and opinion within this forum. Not to mention some very knowledgable and helpful individual members.
It was suggested that I span the shooting over a six month period and spend selected time within the Muslim community getting to know people, hopefully gaining their trust and respect and letting them know what my aims are and of course the aims of QUT's creative precinct in involving them with the Inside Out project. I think it will be a lot of fun.
Keith
The best camera is one that still works!
taskoni
Well-known
I am technically useless in this tread, but I have a creative point to make if I may
It could be nice if you compose and choose the place for your posters in the way that from a certain observation point they all blend in to a giant picture - just like a puzzle
Regards,
b.
It could be nice if you compose and choose the place for your posters in the way that from a certain observation point they all blend in to a giant picture - just like a puzzle
Regards,
b.