Can You Print Small JPEGs Large? 17×22 Test (Ricoh GR + Canon Pro 1000)

Can You Print Small JPEGs Large? 17×22 Test (Ricoh GR + Canon Pro 1000)

What’s poppin’, people? It’s Dante.

Currently running my first test prints here in the dojo.

Got the prints on the wall with the laser jet, and yeah… I actually used some Photo Paper Pro Luster Canon paper today. 17 by 22 inch paper. First time turning this printer on in about 4 years.

And so… considering it’s been like 3.5 years now photographing with my new workflow… I figured it’s time to start printing.

Also—it’s been a decade of photographing.

And I genuinely have no prints of my work.

Over 10 years.

So yeah… it’s time.

The First Print: Philly

What better way to start than printing my official Philly photo?

We’re going behind the scenes.

I’ve got some mythic imagery here—something that inspires me deeply. We’ve got the energy of David and Goliath. And I’m giving my own homage tonight.

This image is a mashup:

  • The Creation of Adam
  • The Temptation in the Garden of Eden
  • Philadelphia symbolism

My brother pointed something out…

The tail of the snake looks like the Philly “P.”

Now I can’t unsee it.

We’ve got the P.
We’ve got City Hall standing tall.
You can even catch William Penn up there.

The Capture

This was shot on the Ricoh GR IIIx using the 71mm crop mode.

Settings:

  • F16
  • Snap focus: 1 meter
  • 2/5 of a second
  • ISO 3200
  • Middle of the night

It’s blurry.
Grainy.
Not critically sharp.

Dust marks everywhere.

And I love it.

It’s extremely imperfect… and that’s exactly why I want to print it.

The Workflow

Small JPEG.

High contrast.
Black and white—cranked straight out of camera.

No real post-processing.

I did use super resolution in Adobe Lightroom just to upscale it.

Original file:

  • 2240 × 3360 pixels
  • ~4.4 MB

Angel numbers.

Boom.

Why Print This?

Honestly?

I just like this photo.

That’s it.

There are probably “better” test images…

But I don’t care.

This one hits.

Books vs Prints

Up until now, I’ve been printing my work in small trade books.

Using standard black-and-white text paper from Blurb.

Not even real photo paper.

And I actually love it.

It fits the visual diary aesthetic:

  • Thin pages
  • Lightweight
  • Intimate
  • Fast to produce

It feels like flipping through thoughts.

I’ve been building these archives mostly for myself—just systematizing how I engage with my work.

Clean. Efficient. Repeatable.

The Difference

But now…

We’ve got real paper.
Real ink.
Real blacks.

Let’s see what happens when the image actually lands properly.

Nice ink laying down the blacks… that’s the test.

Behind the Shot

I even filmed the moment I made this.

That’s the beauty of documenting everything.

You get to relive it.

This snake—Athena.

Shoutout Rodzilla.

I’m crouching, working the scene, clicking through moments.

And somehow…

It all came together into this one frame.

The Print

Final result?

Small JPEG.
High contrast.
Blown up big.

And honestly?

Looks good to me.

It’s kind of ridiculous printing something this gritty and graphic at this size…

But also…

Kind of sick.

Closing Thoughts

Ten years of shooting.

First real print.

Feels like a new chapter.

Do I wish I had a Fuji medium format with insane megapixels?

Sure.

But that’s not the point.

The point is: start printing.

Philly on the wall.

Let’s go.

Time to sleep.

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