Loss of quality when uploading?

[anna_chapman]

<p>Normally I don't have any problems with image quality when I upload, but my latest picture just won't come out the way it looks in Photoshop. I've read that you have to change it from aRGB to sRGB for color problems, but I'm not sure how to do that. I also don't know why it's coming out so blurry. I've changed the size multiple times and adjusted the sharpness, but the image still looks completely different when I upload it.</p>

<p>This is the picture, if it helps at all:<a href="../photo/14360713">http://www.photo.net/photo/14360713</a></p>

<p>As you can see, the regular size view is somewhat blurry, and the full size looks very pixelated. Neither image looks even close to the original. I wish I knew how to prepare it in photoshop so that it would look better on here. Any help would be appreciated.</p>

[frank_skomial]

<p>Your picture shown by the link on photo.net is only 680 x 561 pixels, or so. When stretched over your screen it could look pixelated.</p>

<p>On your computer perhaps you see it at full screen resolution, whatever it is, e.g. 1920 x 1200, 1280 x 800, etc., that is why you see definitely a better quality picture.</p>

<p>The 700 pixel longer edge size is limit imposed for pictures on line display on photo.net pages. </p>

[Larry_G1664882113]

<p>Anna, Hi. To add to Frank's comment, I would recommend that you take your pictures at as large a resolution as your camera allows. Settings are often in the "quality" menu in your camera settings. This is usually at least 240 mega pixels. I often adjust mine to 300 mpx. About the color space (RGB), you will bet the best and brightest color in RGB 1998. Many prefer to post images for the web in sRGB. Since the web tends to be lower resolution, the sRGB is preferred for the web. That said, I seldom convert my images back to sRGB. IMO, RGB 1998 is where I prefer to stay. In Photoshop, you can go to the edit menu and go down to "assign profile" to designate if you want to change from RGB 1998 to sRGB or vice versa. I leave the default on RGB 1998.</p>

[anna_chapman]

<p>Frank: Hmm. I'll have to see if I can set the resolution so that it's exactly proportional to the size limit here. It could be that one side is just too short or too long. Even the small, resized file that I uploaded here looks so much better in photoshop.</p>

<p>Larry: I'll try that and see if it helps any. I'll also make sure that any RAW images I render end up as sRGB or 1998 instead of aRGB to begin with. Thanks for the suggestion.</p>

[persechini]

<p>I have read all the posts on this problem and have seen many explanations for the loss of detail and sharpness in images uploaded to photo.net. This seems to be routine, as far as I can tell. I have tried a variety of ways to get around the problem, i.e., reducing the maximum dimension, sharpening more, downsampling, etc. Color space has nothing to do with sharpness, although I do use sRGB. I have not encountered this problem with photos uploaded to facebook, by the way. <br>

I have some familiarity with image processing software, as I am a scientist who has been dealing with digital images for years. The problem seems to be with the photo.net software that processes the images during the upload.<br>

Interestingly, some images I have seen on photo.net appear reasonably sharp. Depending upon the way images are compressed, this could be because they contain large areas with little detail, or are in other ways more readily compressible.<br>

I think it is time for a guide from photo.net on preparing files for upload and troubleshooting problems. It is frustrating to upload photos to a specialty photography site for comments and find they have lost detail and sharpness. While I am not an image processing expert, I should not have to be to use this site.</p>

<p> </p>

[Spearhead]

<blockquote>

<p> This is usually at least 240 mega pixels. I often adjust mine to 300 mpx. </p>

</blockquote>

<p>There isn't a camera on earth with settings like this.</p>

 

<blockquote>

<p>Since the web tends to be lower resolution, the sRGB is preferred for the web.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Color space and resolution are two different things.</p>

 

<blockquote>

<p>In Photoshop, you can go to the edit menu and go down to "assign profile" to designate if you want to change from RGB 1998 to sRGB or vice versa.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Don't do this. You want to convert to sRGB for the web, not assign. You can <a href="http://www.colormanagementinfo.com/page1/page10/page10.html">read this article</a> if you want to understand.</p>