Making the BIG Print

Today’s Post by Mark Toal

It amazes me that whenever anybody sees me shooting with a mirrorless camera, including Micro Four-thirds, they usually tell me how they need a full size sensor and mega-megapixels to get a really sharp image. “You must make big prints?” I ask. Usually the answer is that they don’t make any prints from their files at all. The reality is that Micro Four-thirds sensors are one-quarter the size of a full frame (24x36mm) sensor and yet I easily make up to 20×30 inch prints.

I have to confess that I’m from a generation that shot film and we had to make prints to see our images. I made my living in the photofinishing business for a long time and I know that times have changed. Most of my photos go to my This blog, my personal blog or Facebook but I still like to make prints to frame and hang all over the house.

Prints have gone down in price over the years and are easy to order on-line. One of my favorite labs is Bay Photo in Santa Cruz, California. They made the 30×40 inch print of the train on metal in the top photo. You can also print at home using ink jet printers but I find it cheaper and a lot easier to have somebody else print it for me.

I usually make 16×20 inch prints and buy frames every time that Arron’s Art Supply has a one-cent frame sale. That way I can swap them out once in a while to see my new work.

Look around your house and if you’re like most people there is a lot of empty wall space that could be filled with your photos. Why not make them with Micro Four-thirds cameras like I do.