Nikon D3000 enlarging prints? Need serious advice

[KaughtPhotography]

While I am in the market for a more professional camera, right now I am working with a Nikon D3000. My business is sort of picking up more than expected and I was asked today by a potential client about a 16x20 mount. Because I have never printed anything bigger than an 11x14, I am unsure about the quality of printing anything larger. Providing the photo is excellent, is my camera capable of producing a clear, quality 16x20 portrait? Any help is appreciated!

 

[480sparky]

There's more to good enlargements that just the camera (which I think cuts the mustard). Your ability to focus correctly, the quality of your lenses, and even your post-processing methods come into play.

 

[Forkie]

What Sparky said. Also, the bigger the print the further back you have to stand to see it all!

 

[KmH]

Making photographs for clients is about a lot more than just making a nice picture.

You also need to understand the tools you use to do that, and how to make sure the products your clients want to buy are made properly.

Start by finding out the pixel dimensions your D3000 makes images at. The information is in your D3000 users manual. It is my understanding the complete users manual for the D3000 is on one of the discs that came with your camera.

In fact, your D3000 can be set up to make images at 3 different pixel dimensions: Large, Normal, and Small.

Now, when you want a print made you need to specify how many pixels-per-inch (PPI) the print will be made at. The pixel dimension and the PPI determine the size of the print.

Next you need to learn about aspect ratios. Aspect ratio defines the ratio of the long side of the photo to the short side of the photo, in other words the shape of the rectangle. A square has an aspect ratio of 1:1, all sides are the same length,

Your D3000 makes photos in the 3:2 aspect ratio and the long side is 1.5 times longer than the short side. Photo sizes in the 3:2 aspect ratio are 4x6, 6x9, 8x12, 10x15, 16x24, 20x30. In other words you don't have to crop to print those sizes.

16 x 20 is a 5:4 aspect ratio (the long side is 1.25 times longer than the short side) just as an 8x10 is, but the 16x20 would be printed with fewer PPI than an 8x10 to make the 16x20 bigger. You would need crop a native 3:2 aspect ratio D3000 photo the the 5:4 aspect ratio.

This chart maybe helpful. Notice the 11x14 is an oddball size

 

[JohnBoy]

Everything that others have told you is sound advice particularly about making the technically best image that you can in the camera - avoid zoom lenses and use a tripod if you can. If you only have a zoom lens, get on the net and find some reviews of the lens you are using and get a feel for where other people reckon the "sweet spot" is for that lens then experiment with their recommendations.
There's nothing wrong with the camera you are using. I once made a 20x24 print from an image shot on a D70 with a zoom (and when I took it I did not know that such a large print would be required). Without doubt the D3000 can make better images than a D70 for no other reason than it is a few generations younger but to get the best large image you will probably still have to carefully crop, enlarge and sharpen the file in Photoshop. Shooting in RAW, if you can post-process it, would also be an advantage otherwise use the best quality JPEG setting the camera offers and as you work on the file don't keep resaving it as a JPEG - use some other lossless format such as PSD or TIFF (you can always save the final version as a high quality JPEG if your chosen printing method requires that).
JohnBoy

 

[PaulBennett]

Providing the photo is excellent, is my camera capable of producing a clear, quality 16x20 portrait?

Absolutely. You can get excellent larger than 16x20 portraits even from a 2Mp camera.

Portraits demand great lighting and a trigger puller with good visualization, not more pixels or the sharpest lens.

GL (checkout a used D700)