Developing pictures question

LisaMarie · Jun 11, 2009

Ok so its time to finally print my lovely pictures, heres the thing though i have cropped alot of them so that they are not your usual 4X6 size, so if i was say planning to just get them developed with a cd at say mcbains or wall mart what will come of my future portfolio pictures!? Will they be stretched akwardly, or just have a border? If anyone has experience with this let me know before i go to get them done and hate them.

Oh and one more queston regarding lightroom, i notice after i export my pictures into jpegs, the quality deteriates from the file i have been working on in lightroom to my newly exported jpeg image.. I was looking at the settings for when i export my picture and i read something like 240 ppi or something, well all i know is i read some wheres that good picture quality starts at 300 ppi, but you think that lightroom would defualt that setting if that was the case, is this my problem, or can anybody else lend some advice on my quality deteriation?

Thanks again!

Montana · Jun 11, 2009

240 is not bad at all. I don't use "labs" like walmart and such myself, but you should have the option to either "crop to fit" or have a white border. The crop to fit is not what you want. See if they have the border option.

LisaMarie · Jun 11, 2009

Great thanks! Oh and just out of curiosity who do you use to process your portfolio pics? Would you recommed getting them professionally done at a photo store lab type deal?? Is the quality difference really noticable?

musicaleCA · Jun 11, 2009

If you're building a portfolio and really care about your images, you won't sell yourself short by not getting the best quality and service you can within your budget. A portfolio shouldn't have many images in it anyway, so it shouldn't be hideously costly, depending on who you go to.

Montana · Jun 11, 2009

I agree with the above. If its something you are showing clients, then you are showing them what they can expect from you. If its just something to show friends and family, you may not need the best, but those images might still be on thier minds when you do go professional. If you can afford it, get it done right. I am still amassing portfolio images, and thus far I have been printing at home. Once I have a solid foundation, I will send them out to a pro lab.

KmH · Jun 12, 2009

You can get professional quality prints made at www.mpix.com . Mpix is the consumer branch of Millers Professional Imaging, the largest professional lab in the US.

Many of Mpix's print sizes cost less than Wal-Mart's.

Many professional portrait and wedding photographers use Mpix regularly.

Another pro outlet you can try is WHCC. I don't know if you have to have a federal tax id to have work done at WHCC.