Originally posted by fs999 Did you click on the photo and zoomed in ?
Once you decide you don't like an image, after that you are just looking for an excuse as to why not.
Conversely, people that like an image, will one say "its nice and sharp" when what they mean is, the level of sharpness is appropriate to the image. I've received the "That image is really sharp." comment for images that were right on the edge of acceptable sharpness, and that I was very close to just deleting. Way to often, "that's really sharp" is a way of saying "I really like that image."
I have never once seen anyone change their opinion after an "it's not sharp " judgement. It's just a catch phrase for "That's just not the kind of image I like." I think they feel better about being a negative Nelly if they make up some bogus technical criteria.
So don't feel bad if this guy doesn't like your image. It's impossible to anticipate what anyone means by "sharp". Appropriately sharp, ultimate sharpness, hard lighting high contrast sharp, soft lighting pastel sharp, sharp lens sharp, all in focus sharp, sharp focus with a less than ultimate sharpness lens sharp, sharpening artifact sharp, unnatural looking unreal sharp. You can't even tell what an "it's not sharp" comment means unless you know what thier personal concept of sharpness is.
For the things I look at, clarity of whiskers, definition of back lit hair, crisp edges to the highlights in the eyes, your image is appropriately sharp. I have no idea what criteria this uses. Just that he's seen some picture that were better. My advice to him would be, post some of the images you think are sharp, we'll tell you how that look is achieved. The answer will be in , subject angle to the light, camera angle to the light source, shutter speed and or exposure time, tripod or no, contrast and micro contrast in PP, saturation in PP and noise reduction in PP, and oh ya, and in rare cases a comment on the sharpness of the lens.
A good photographer can create the illusion of extreme sharpness with an average lens. A poor one can't even with the sharpest lens. I can't politely comment on the guys who blame the lens.