Pic Quality massacre - DPChallenge Forums

Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D

07/23/2006 02:38:46 AM · #1

Is it common for pics you've carefully edited for challenges to look like utter trash when you've uploaded them here.
For the latest challenge I managed to select a pic and touched it up and everything. I put it up here and it looks bad. It has boxes running all along the background where there is a slight colour change. The quality looks so bad. If the pic's going to look that horrible I can't imagine getting more then 3s and I know the pic is in the high 4s range (Even I know where the darn thing lies). It's not ground breaking but I don't want to put in something thats even worse.

Is it something I'm doing wrong. I've been saving for web at the highest pic quality...

David.C

07/23/2006 03:17:31 AM · #2

Most likely it's a colorspace issue, but post your steps and we will help find the cause of the problem. Before and after pictures that are not in current challenges would be good as well.

There is also a tutorial in the 'Learn' menu at the top of the page that might help.

David

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro

07/23/2006 12:30:40 PM · #3

Hmm...
The only thing I've done different was smart blur on the background. The pic looked grainy because the background was grainy and I wanted to smoothen that out. I guess thats probably the cause of the problem. I'll have to re-do the background somehow I guess..
Thanks

TechnoShroom

Canon EOS-30D

07/23/2006 12:36:45 PM · #4

Smart blur on the background wouldn't be legal in basic.

scrum8

Canon EOS-50D

Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS

07/23/2006 12:39:28 PM · #5

Did you use AOL to upload? I remember I use to have issues with compressing and uncompressing photos in AOL.

Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM

07/23/2006 12:52:45 PM · #6

Actually the colour on colour is advanced editing so I'm assuming we can use smart blur.. and no I didn't use AOL so unfortunately my lead on any problems is still with the blur issue.
Thanks again..

mist

Canon EOS-60D

07/23/2006 12:55:10 PM · #7

Is the picture actually changing when it's uploaded, or is it changed when you save for the web? I mean, if you open the pic just before you upload it, is it naff then?

Tomioka 55mm f/1.4 in M42 Mount

07/23/2006 01:00:49 PM · #8

It's perfectly fine in photoshop before and after saving for web but it changes when uploaded to DP.
You should have heard my screams of horror when I opened my challenge page..

Gabriel

Pentax K7

07/23/2006 01:11:02 PM · #9

When you "save for the web" in photoshop, your software is not reloading the pic. If you did not re-opened it, then you haven't seen the saved version on you computer.

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro

07/23/2006 01:15:03 PM · #10

new develevopment..

Good news:
The problem was simple.. Saving for web... For some strange reason that ruins the pic..Simple save as keeps it kinda normal. You still get the strange colour gradient but that happens a lot and it looks better then those darn block things.

Bad news:
The more I look at the pic the more I hate it.. I predict a 4.25.. Oh well.. But I'm not going to let this one go. A week without an entry kills.

Umm.. Smart blur 'is' allowed for advanced.. right..TechnoShroom made be a bit concerned about its legality in even the advanced.

TechnoShroom

Canon EOS-30D

07/23/2006 01:19:07 PM · #11

Originally posted by UrfaK:

Umm.. Smart blur 'is' allowed for advanced.. right..TechnoShroom made be a bit concerned about its legality in even the advanced.

I had forgotten about this weeks rules. Just didn't want you to spend a lot of time on something you couldn't enter. You're good to go for advanced rules.

EDIT: To cure that "color gradient" issue oddly enough the answer is to add a small amount of noise.

Message edited by author 2006-07-23 13:20:15.

mist

Canon EOS-60D

Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM

07/23/2006 01:28:29 PM · #12

Originally posted by UrfaK:

new develevopment..

Good news:
The problem was simple.. Saving for web... For some strange reason that ruins the pic..Simple save as keeps it kinda normal.

Saving for web can increase the compression which loses detail. It can alter colour spaces which could, in theory, alter the vibrance of your images, assuming you have a monitor that can show the difference.

But you may have to make certain sacrifices to make a detailed image fit the file size.