[southlander]

Have any of you had trouble with your photos looking different when you post them here as compared to how they look on your computer?

Yes, it can occur and, in my opinion, often is due to a loss of sharpening. Primary causes I am aware of:

(1) the image is larger than the rules set by the site you are posting to. Typically the site robo re-scales down to what it allows. This process is automatic and the resultant smaller image is either not resharpened or resharpening is not optimised for the specifics of the image being re-scaled. It's possible the resizing also increases the file compression which is lossy. And ANY decompression/recompression causes image deterioration. There are rules somewhere listed on this site.

(2) when you export a lower resolution image from your chosen post processing software, what sharpening is being applied to the output? While your full res image may have been carefully sharpened, conversion to a lower res file looses a lot of the initial sharpening and the low res file itself needs to be sharpened ( this is known as "output sharpening"). For example, if using Lightroom and using File>>Export to create the low res file, you have output sharpening options listed in the Export dialog window. These options apply various degrees of aggression in output sharpening but you get what LR thinks is best.

(3) I find using Lightroom Print Module to create a JPG for loading to this site produces particularly ordinary results. I was using this module for a while to add borders to an image but then stopped and reverted to using File>>Export as it was giving better results in my opinion.

(4) Not sharpening related but a low JPEG quality setting chosen when creating the low-res file (which means compression is high and colour graduations suffer). Lightroom uses a proprietary scale for JPEG quality in its Export dialog which doesn't align at all with what JPEG quality is reported in a file's EXIF data. A Lightroom export quality setting of 75-80 seems to give a EXIF JPEG quality score of 90-95 which should be quite adequate for web pages. If you use Lightroom, Google this, there is a really good article out there somewhere comparing the translation between Lightroom export quality settings and the reported quality settings shown in the EXIF data. Very high Lightroom quality settings creates large files as very little compression is applied. You run the risk of problem (1) then.

For best results, only apply light sharpening to the full-res file, export at your required lower resolution without any output sharpening and then re-import the low-res image to your post processing app. Apply your own sharpening to taste on this low-res file and then save (or re-export as is, ie no further size change and no output sharpening). You are then in full control of the output sharpening. More mucking about but best result. I posted two images last night to the M Lens Club thread and, for the first time, went through this export/import/sharpen/re-export process because I have been a little unhappy with how my images looked on the site. I think the result is better and images have more punch. But I could simply be suffering placebo effect!

Those images are here: The M Club! - Page 453 - PentaxForums.com

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Last edited by southlander; 07-11-2018 at 11:08 PM.

[KC0PET]

I would like some feedback on how I could improve this image, specifically the composition and exposure.

Beautiful! I love the silky waterfalls. It seems like it may need a little rotation to the left to feel straight. I would crop some of the dark off the left (but I tend toward tight framing). Maybe a little more color saturation to bring out the green leaves.

[dhart2]

I would like some feedback on how I could improve this image, specifically the composition and exposure.

beautiful

[p0pa]

The shot is nice, but there are a few thing which I can suggest:
First of all - perhaps I will like it better if it is straightened.
The second thing which I can suggest is to recompose a bit, so the waterfall to be on the left side and not so much in the center of the photo. This way, the photo will also "lead" the viewer in the same way as the direction of the water .

[bwgv001]

I would like some feedback on how I could improve this image, specifically the composition and exposure.

Nice shot; like the fact that it is processed "natural" not over processed, as you see so many times. Nice colors for the leaves and the vegetation on the rock.

[tar4heel2]

I would like some feedback on how I could improve this image, specifically the composition and exposure.

GREAT shot. Well done! Maybe a bit more saturation, but that's nit-pick.

[nmcleod1993]

I don't know where it was taken but I would have added a little more to the left and not cut off the waterfall at the top. Then again that might be the right composition for the waterfall.

[Photogoof]

I would like some feedback on how I could improve this image, specifically the composition and exposure.

I think it works very well as it is.

[CharLac]

A picture is worth a thousand words....a bit more at the top of the falls would have been nice I think; but what do I know

[dellas73]

great

[mariozysk]

I like it the way it is. If I were to make any changes, I'd add more of the waterfall on the top left. But it all depends on the scene too.

[GRB]

I don't believe the mentioned composite method would have solved the missing content in the upper left. Considering the focal length available, the only real answer to filling that area with content would be to get wet and I doubt that your tripod would have liked that solution. I don't see how the upper left content could have been done any better. Great job!

[ChristianRock]

I really like this picture and wouldn't change anything about it - except I wouldn't vignette quite as much as you did

[WildPortraits]

I pretty much agree with the other comments. Having shot a very similar waterfall in the Smokies, I know sometimes you can't arrange the perfect composition because of rocks in the way, or difficulty getting to the right spot with the way water flows. The only thing I'd suggest shooting from this spot that may have made a difference is to shoot vertical, framing slightly to the left. That would have gotten at least a little more of the falls, and would leave out what I find are distracting branches to the right. But the exposure is perfect, just the right degree of silkiness.

[josephwamsley]

Beautiful shot. I love the long exposure for it. The only thing that I wish wasn't there was the branch on the right hand side of the falls. It's a little distracting for me. But I'm being picky of a great shot. Good job.