Jamestown needs photo help!

[Jamestown]

Hi guys,
I'm desperate....a friend took some family holiday photos and e-mailed me the photos. I want to edit them (brightness, cropping, etc.), but when I attempt to enlarge them, they get really, really grainy. What's the problem? Is this hopeless? BTW, I'm a little computer stupid, but know how to edit photos; I just don't know where the exact problem lies.

Any info appreciated and thanks.
Jamestown

[jmq]

Some email programs really shrink the size of the image file if embedded in the body of the email. I dont think they reduce the file size if sent as a separate attachment. Most newer cameras take photos with pretty decent size files, unless set on lowest resolution, but I have images taken 8 yrs ago with an old 2mp digital camera where the image size is only about 200mb and they dont look too bad. Now if you cropped this in half, you would pick up some grain, but images of say at least 500mb should be pretty crop-able.

[djmom]

I am not sure of all the camera terminology, but is there any chance you friend took the photos on the "thumbnail" setting? This happened to me once (actually about 6 months of photos before I realized it). I must have been screwing around on the camera and chnaged it and didn't realize it.

Basically, if that happened, I don't think there is anyway to enlarge those without problems.

Hope that isn't what happened. But it sounds like what happened to me.

[Jamestown]

djmom,

I was thinking this might be the problem. I guess I'm stuck. Boo.

Thanks to all for your insight.

Jamestown

[Trigger]

Like jmq has mentioned, the email program they used might have shrank them. I would have your friend try to resend them to you as attachments. If the pictures were taken at a small resolution, you won't be able to enlarge very much before you start loosing the clarity of the picture.