Pictures quality for first submission.

[Alexander 0]

Hi all.

I have submitted first three pictures and have rejected by reason  "Soft or lacking definition".

 

Pictures was taken by recommended camera and lens. 

Picture was landscapes with big depth of field and exposition was normal as I can see by histogram. 

 

Could someone help me to understand if I need increase sharpen of photos with contrast always? 

 

 

Thanks

Alexander. 

[dustydingo 753]

Hi Alexander.

 

To comment in any meaningful way, we need to see a 100% crop of the image/s that failed.

 

dd

[spacecadet 2,595]

We can't comment unless you post 100% crops here, but Alamy say don't sharpen and I never have, but then I shoot jpeg.

[Bill Brooks 1,099]

"Soft or lacking definition" could be caused by stopping your lens down too far in order to get "big depth of field".

 

On my full frame sensor camera F5.6 is the sharpest and F11 is acceptable sharpness. F16 or F22 would cause softness due to diffraction, and probably result in a "Soft or lacking definition" verdict in QC

 

On my smaller sensor cameras any stopping down beyond F6.3 will yield unacceptable soft results.

 

If I am using a zoom lens then the F11 limit can vary, depending on the zooom setting.

 

Here is an explanation of diffraction.

 

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/understanding-series/u-diffraction.shtml

[spacecadet 2,595]

I've never had a fail for diffraction and I'm typically using f10-13 on a sunny day.

SonyA55/356, kit 18-55.

Interesting point though- it never goes smaller than f13 on Program. A fortunate byproduct of trying to keep a faster shutter speed?

But OP, we still need to see your failed pix at 100%.

Edited January 29, 2014 by spacecadet

[John Mitchell 3,193]

Does this mean that Ansel Adams would have failed Alamy QC?

 

Personally, I've never had any problems with f/11 images (APS-C sensors) on Alamy, and I also use the f/10 to f/13 f-stop range fairly often with my Sony cameras and lenses.

Edited January 29, 2014 by John Mitchell

[Martyn 487]

Hi all.

I have submitted first three pictures and have rejected by reason  "Soft or lacking definition".

 

 

 

1. For your “test” submission, please send FOUR images. Once your “test” submission has passed Quality Control (QC) you can send as many as you like.

Possibly didn't help your first submission.......

[dov makabaw 129]

Without more information we can't give constructive advice. Please let us know what body and lens you are using and whether your images have been cropped. If you attach a copy of your image then I am confident that somebody will be able to pinpoint the problem.

 

Good luck anyway - we have all been through this!

 

dov

[Bill Brooks 1,099]

Photographers owe a lot to Ansel Adams, however Ansel Adams shot to the technical standards of another age. 

 

I was at an exhibition of Adams prints about 6 months ago, and I would say that yes, his early 1930's 1940's work would have failed Alamy QC because of a lack of sharpness.

 

The difference in sharpness between Adams' work, and Burtynsky's work was like night and day.

 

http://www.mcmichael.com/adams-burtynsky/ansel-adams.html

 

Sharpness standards have come a long way since Adams

[John Mitchell 3,193]

 

Photographers owe a lot to Ansel Adams, however Ansel Adams shot to the technical standards of another age. 

 

I was at an exhibition of Adams prints about 6 months ago, and I would say that yes, his early 1930's 1940's work would have failed Alamy QC because of a lack of sharpness.

 

The difference in sharpness between Adams' work, and Burtynsky's work was like night and day.

 

http://www.mcmichael.com/adams-burtynsky/ansel-adams.html

 

Sharpness standards have come a long way since Adams

 

That may be so, but I'm sure that there are millions of images -- including plenty of landscapes -- on Alamy that were shot at f/11 or smaller apertures with non full-frame cameras and "consumer" lenses. Anyway, I'm sure that you landscape experts can help the OP if he decides to post some 100% crops. 

[dov makabaw 129]

Check out your camera sensor pixel size on the Cambridge in Colour website. This will show you the smallest aperture that can be used before the image softens.

 

dov

[John Mitchell 3,193]

Check out your camera sensor pixel size on the Cambridge in Colour website. This will show you the smallest aperture that can be used before the image softens.

 

dov

Thanks for this. So, according to their calculator, a camera with a 1.5 crop factor (CF) shouldn't have diffraction issues until f/16. Correct?

Edited January 30, 2014 by John Mitchell

[spacecadet 2,595]

I did a rough-and-ready test today on a resolution chart, A55, 18-55 on 35 and there was no detectable deterioration until f22. f29 was quite ropey. Optimum, between 11 and 16. Which is where the P setting puts most of my exposures. So I'll stop thinking about that.

[David Kilpatrick 313]

This matters because on the A7R full-frame you really need f/13, f/14, f/16 to be used quite often to get enough depth of field. And the sensor is actually slightly larger in pixel size than the A55. It works, of course. All these cameras today have either very weak AA filters or none, and the old problems with pictures getting softer at f/11 were often down to the AA filter on an even lower resolution sensor.

[spacecadet 2,595]

I hope we haven't frightened the OP away.

[Pearl 877]

Check out your camera sensor pixel size on the Cambridge in Colour website. This will show you the smallest aperture that can be used before the image softens.

 

dov

Very useful website.  Thanks for sharing Dov.

 

Pearl

[MariaJ 324]

Yes, very helpful website, thanks Dov.