Understanding compression in photography
Compression affects both how your photos are saved and how they look. In this series, we’ll cover:
- File compression — how formats like JPG, WebP, and RAW store your image data
- Background compression — how lenses affect visual depth and space
- Tips for avoiding overcompression, both technically and artistically
Whether you're managing your photo library or trying to avoid common mistakes in portrait and travel photography, this section will help you understand compression from both sides.
Articles in the series:
A beginner-friendly section exploring both file compression (like JPG/WebP) and visual background compression caused by focal length. Understanding both can help you avoid lost detail — and lost moments.
A visual explanation of background compression — how focal length affects space and depth in your photos. Especially helpful for portraits, landscapes, and learning what zoom really does.
A plain-language overview of file compression in digital photography — including lossy vs. lossless formats, how JPG and RAW differ, and when compression becomes a problem.
A detailed breakdown of WebP compression in photography, including how the format works, when artifacts appear, and why tools like GIMP sometimes produce unexpected results.
Learn how to avoid overcompressing your images — both in file format (JPG quality settings) and in visual composition (unintentional lens distortion or awkward perspective).