Alamy submissions failed

[Gordon Chew]

Good day to all reading my message here.

 

I'm a new contributor to Alamy, and my most recent submission was once again failed by the Alamy QC team for a second running time.

 

Reasons given were; (1) Noise, and (2) Out-of-focus.

 

My photos are all taken by drone shots by setting to 48mp, featuring pictures mostly of:

1) changing landscapes

2) environmental impacts of deforestation

3) global warming;

since these are what Alamy are seeking based on their current requirements.

 

Before my submissions, I ensure these pictures are filtered for noise reduction and with no other touch-ups since the quality itself is excellent enough to hopefully pass QC. I do, however, acknowledge that the pics include the whole landscape covering a wide area since they are taken above ground level at bird's eye view. Is that why Alamy says my submissions are "out-of-focus"?

 

So, my questions are:

1) does filtering for noise reduction contributes for further noisy-grainy results as mentioned by QC?

2) how do I reduce the out-of-focus issue, being these pictures are and will be taken by my drones each time?

3) how do I get pass the QC, as at the time of this writing, I'm still caught at the "waiting / holding period" for 3 basic picture submissions to be passed before my work can be up-on-sale-stage?

 

Awaiting for all your kind advice and comments after this.

 

My thanks in advance.

[spacecadet]

If it's a small sensor noise can be an issue. Yours may simply be unsuitable.

If you post the images at 100%, or 100% crops, opinions can be given. You will need to host the images somewhere, such as postimages.org

Edited September 3, 2020 by spacecadet

[M.Chapman]

Some vibration might make the images look out of focus? Alternatively your noise reduction may have made the images look soft.

In any event, I’d suggest downsizing to 6MP before submission as this will help. Submitting a 48MP image, which Alamy will inspect at 100% size for focus, noise and defects, places significant demands on camera lens, sensor and technique.

 

Mark

[Gordon Chew]

On 03/09/2020 at 19:41, spacecadet said:

If it's a small sensor noise can be an issue. Yours may simply be unsuitable.

If you post the images at 100%, or 100% crops, opinions can be given. You will need to host the images somewhere, such as postimages.org

Thanks for the advice, spacedet.

 

Alamy's QC is unexpectedly a tough deal. All my submissions were passed by Adobe Stock though. Any other sites I can submit besides Alamy, Getty and Shuttershock?  

[Gordon Chew]

On 03/09/2020 at 23:20, M.Chapman said:

Some vibration might make the images look out of focus? Alternatively your noise reduction may have made the images look soft.

In any event, I’d suggest downsizing to 6MP before submission as this will help. Submitting a 48MP image, which Alamy will inspect at 100% size for focus, noise and defects, places significant demands on camera lens, sensor and technique.

 

Mark

Thanks for replying, Mark.

 

From what I know based on my contributor submissions to other sites besides Alamy, it is fine with Adobe. So, it's definitely not the blurring due from the vibrations.

 

I inspected at 100% zoom after noise reduction by Photoshop just in case, there wasn't any visible grains or "noise". I'm sure gonna take up your advice by producing a few submissions after this to 6MP and see if that's gonna be accepted by the QC. Keeping my fingers crossed.

[mickfly]

What drone are you using?
Is it 48MP, image, which I doubt from a drone, or are do you mean the file is 48mb uncompressed size?
If it's  a fish eye or wide angle lens you should check right to the edges for noise/blur etc.

Edited September 6, 2020 by mickfly

[wiskerke]

On 04/09/2020 at 20:06, Gordon Chew said:

Thanks for the advice, spacedet.

 

Alamy's QC is unexpectedly a tough deal. All my submissions were passed by Adobe Stock though. Any other sites I can submit besides Alamy, Getty and Shuttershock?  

 

Finally a chance to point someone to Alexandre's brutal blog.

😁

 

wim

 

[Gordon Chew]

20 hours ago, mickfly said:

What drone are you using?
Is it 48MP, image, which I doubt from a drone, or are do you mean the file is 48mb uncompressed size?
If it's  a fish eye or wide angle lens you should check right to the edges for noise/blur etc.

Hi Mickfly,

 

I'm using a Mavic Air 2, with settings for 48 megapix when I shoot aerial photos. I've been submitting my works without compressing, so the sizes of my pics are all above 10 megapixels, reduced for blurring, noise and grains using Photoshop.

[Gordon Chew]

11 hours ago, wiskerke said:

 

Finally a chance to point someone to Alexandre's brutal blog.

😁

 

wim

 

Hi there, Wiskerke.

 

My thanks for forwarding me the blog's site, I'm slowly digesting some of the posts, learning and taking notes as I go along. Good read thus far.

[Brasilnut]

20 minutes ago, Gordon Chew said:

Hi there, Wiskerke.

 

My thanks for forwarding me the blog's site, I'm slowly digesting some of the posts, learning and taking notes as I go along. Good read thus far.

 

Thanks  

 

Alamy has one of the softer QC requirements with their batch review, so if someone is having constant rejections on here they would probably struggle elsewhere especially now that Shutterstock is using AI to review and is full of bugs. 

[Cal]

33 minutes ago, Gordon Chew said:

Hi Mickfly,

 

I'm using a Mavic Air 2, with settings for 48 megapix when I shoot aerial photos. I've been submitting my works without compressing, so the sizes of my pics are all above 10 megapixels, reduced for blurring, noise and grains using Photoshop.

 

The problem with the MA2, while it undoubtedly has good quality, is it doesn't actually have a 48MP sensor. It achieves 48MP by some sort of fancy upsizing, and the word is that it's not all it's cracked up to be. Also, as the image has been artificially upsized, when viewed at 100% the result will be very punishing to even the sharpest of the images. I'd turn off the 48MP mode and try again, but I'm not even sure the MA2 is on Alamy's accepted submission list, I thought when it came to drones you could only really get away with the pro variants that cost thousands of pounds as only they have big enough sensors to compete with even entry level DSLRs.

 

EDIT: I did a bit of re-reading, and the term I was looking for was "quad bayer" which is how they achieve 48MP from 12MP. You may want to consider downsizing your images to the minimum 6MP requirement (3000x2000) to see if they pass.

Edited September 7, 2020 by Cal

[Gordon Chew]

20 hours ago, Brasilnut said:

 

Thanks  

 

Alamy has one of the softer QC requirements with their batch review, so if someone is having constant rejections on here they would probably struggle elsewhere especially now that Shutterstock is using AI to review and is full of bugs. 

That's just swell...... Shuttershock , Alamy, even Pond5 all have the same reaction towards all my submissions...... R.E.J.E.C.T.E.D.   Not giving up for now, though.

[Gordon Chew]

20 hours ago, Cal said:

 

The problem with the MA2, while it undoubtedly has good quality, is it doesn't actually have a 48MP sensor. It achieves 48MP by some sort of fancy upsizing, and the word is that it's not all it's cracked up to be. Also, as the image has been artificially upsized, when viewed at 100% the result will be very punishing to even the sharpest of the images. I'd turn off the 48MP mode and try again, but I'm not even sure the MA2 is on Alamy's accepted submission list, I thought when it came to drones you could only really get away with the pro variants that cost thousands of pounds as only they have big enough sensors to compete with even entry level DSLRs.

 

EDIT: I did a bit of re-reading, and the term I was looking for was "quad bayer" which is how they achieve 48MP from 12MP. You may want to consider downsizing your images to the minimum 6MP requirement (3000x2000) to see if they pass.

Hi Cal, you're absolutely right. You really did your research and homework.

 

I'm aware it's hyped-up by DJI regarding the 48MP pics. All my submissions, before sending to Alamy, go through the process of noise reduction to avoid grains..... even my lower than 48MP ones. Thus far, none have passed the QC. I'll try again on your advice by sending the minimum 6MP requirement soon enough. Anyhow, I feel that generally drone submissions have the lowest rate of passing their mark. 

[spacecadet]

3 minutes ago, Gordon Chew said:

Hi Cal, you're absolutely right. You really did your research and homework.

 

I'm aware it's hyped-up by DJI regarding the 48MP pics. All my submissions, before sending to Alamy, go through the process of noise reduction to avoid grains..... even my lower than 48MP ones. Thus far, none have passed the QC. I'll try again on your advice by sending the minimum 6MP requirement soon enough. Anyhow, I feel that generally drone submissions have the lowest rate of passing their mark. 

I did suggest that you upload some 100% samples to a hosting site. Without them we are flying blind with any advice.

[Gordon Chew]

On 08/09/2020 at 16:50, spacecadet said:

I did suggest that you upload some 100% samples to a hosting site. Without them we are flying blind with any advice.

Roger that, spacedet. I'll post a few soon.

[Gordon Chew]

On 08/09/2020 at 16:50, spacecadet said:

I did suggest that you upload some 100% samples to a hosting site. Without them we are flying blind with any advice.

 

 

 

 

 

[spacecadet]

31 minutes ago, Gordon Chew said:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Those are not at 100%, they're 1280 x720. We need to see them at 100%.

[Harry Harrison]

3 hours ago, Gordon Chew said:

Roger that, spacedet. I'll post a few soon.

If you do provide links to the full resolution jpegs as uploaded to Alamy then it's probably good practice to watermark them first.

[Gordon Chew]

17 hours ago, spacecadet said:

Those are not at 100%, they're 1280 x720. We need to see them at 100%.

Hi spacedet, by 100% do you mean to zoom-in at 100% at one or any section of the photo before posting for further scrutiny?

[Gordon Chew]

15 hours ago, Harry Harrison said:

If you do provide links to the full resolution jpegs as uploaded to Alamy then it's probably good practice to watermark them first.

Roger that, Harry.

 

I did thought about it and will do so till after Alamy has accepted my first three submissions, but didn't get far enough yet after failing twice at entry level. 

 

Watermark it shall beginning my future submissions from now on.

 

Thanks for prompting, appreciate it.

[gvallee]

Gordon, I cannot remember where or when, but I am pretty sure that Alamy said the Mavic Air 2 was not acceptable. I bought one myself just for recreation, knowing that I could not possibly supply Alamy. Part of Alamy's post said 'drone sensors are getting there but not yet'. Sorry I can't be more specific, I don't really have the time to search for it.

[Gordon Chew]

2 minutes ago, gvallee said:

Gordon, I cannot remember where or when, but I am pretty sure that Alamy said the Mavic Air 2 was not acceptable. I bought one myself just for recreation, knowing that I could not possibly supply Alamy. Part of Alamy's post said 'drone sensors are getting there but not yet'. Sorry I can't be more specific, I don't really have the time to search for it.

Hi Gvallee, jeez..... looks like all the effort comes to naught     Indeed I've also had the same luck with Shutterstock. Only Adobe has the best bet cause so far, most of my submissions there passed the QC test.

 

It's great & kind to get confirmation from you, many thanks. 

[spacecadet]

5 hours ago, Gordon Chew said:

Hi spacedet, by 100% do you mean to zoom-in at 100% at one or any section of the photo before posting for further scrutiny?

Just upload the full-size image to postimages.org and post the "hotlink for forums" link here.

[wiskerke]

2 hours ago, spacecadet said:

Just upload the full-size image to postimages.org and post the "hotlink for forums" link here.

 

And maybe post an original straight from the camera as well. Preferably RAW. You do shoot RAW don't you?

 

wim

[Gordon Chew]

34 minutes ago, wiskerke said:

 

And maybe post an original straight from the camera as well. Preferably RAW. You do shoot RAW don't you?

 

wim

Hi Wiskerke,

 

I did shoot in raw but somehow couldn't upload them to my desktop, so all the images posted weren't from raw format.

 

I'll post the originals straight from camera soon.

 

Thanks.

[Gordon Chew]

3 hours ago, spacecadet said:

Just upload the full-size image to postimages.org and post the "hotlink for forums" link here.

Hi spacedet, I get what you mean, I'll see how to upload them in 100% before posting soon.

 

Many thanks.