What Is Pixelation in Photography?

Definition

• Pixelation happens when the individual pixels in a digital photograph are visible. Pixels are blocks of color that make up the photograph. Pixelation only applies to the use of digital cameras, not regular cameras. In order to see the pixels, you can zoom in very close on a photograph.

How To Avoid It

• To avoid having pixelated photographs, take pictures in high resolutions. When editing a picture, do not overcompress the file. Overcompression can have an adverse effect on JPEG files. For example, reducing the final quality of the JPEG file in Adobe Photoshop can cause pixelation. Finally, you can edit the image afterwards. Adobe Photoshop has an effect called "bicubic resampling," which reduces the amount of pixelation in a photograph.

How To Make It

• If you enjoy the look of pixelation on your photographs, then you can either make it when you are taking the photograph or when you are editing it. To achieve the effect naturally, take a picture in a low resolution like a 400-by-600 size.

Advantages and Disadvantages

• Artists and photographers prefer using pixelation as a stylistic device. Others prefer the pixelated look because it yields lower resolution photographs, which can be shared easily on the Internet. Also, higher resolution photographs can take a while to load with a slow internet connection. However, with all that said, pixelation does destroy the photograph's natural flow. Higher resolution photographs have more quality to them than lower resolution pictures.