Help with pic on profile page

[abjcooking]

Hopefully someone can help me out. I am trying to put a picture on my profile page. I have adobe 7.0 to work with. Starting out the picture is
Image size: width 484 height 597pixels
Document size w .807inches h .995 inches

When I reduced the image size to 50-41pixels the image was so grainy you couldn't even see it and even when I reduced it so far you could barely see the picture the profile page said it had to be under 7kb. I've noticed that some of your pictures were very clear. How on earth do you get it like that?

[Michael in FtW]

I dunno ... I just scanned the photo on my ID card and then tweaked it a little to make it fit within the 50X50 pixel size.

[GB]

I think it depends on the size and quality of the photo to begin with. It the photo is too large and not of the highest quality then when you shrink it it gets all fuzzy and distorted.

[Otter]

I haven't done this yet because my computer conked a short while ago. I now have a new computer and printer/scanner/copier plus new imaging software that I haven't had time to figure out yet. I'm also going to have to replace my old digital camera and learn the new one. (Isn't technology wonderful?) My question is: for best results should I 1). shoot full frame and then reduce it, or 2). shoot wide and crop the image from the center?

[GB]

For best results always try to frame your picture so that you do not need to crop it.

[Otter]

Thanks, GB, that was what I thought but wanted to be sure I wouldn't be trying to cram too much into a small picture.