Image Quality on the Internet

[wings of a bluebird]

I am just wondering if anyone knows why my photos are coming out really, really fuzzy when I upload them to the web, despite them being tack-sharp in Photoshop?

I do resize them and sharpen them and save for web, which I thought was supposed to fix that - but every time I try uploading them to the web either on flikr or a blog they are just completely fuzzy

Any ideas what I could be doing wrong?

[RichardTaylor]

What quality are you exporting them?

Are you using sRGB colour space?

Can you post an example along with Exif data?

[wings of a bluebird]

thanks for the reply RichardTaylor
Here is an example. This picture, in PS it's so clear that I can see my reflection in her eyes. Yet when uploaded to Flikr, it seems really, really blurry and out of focus



EXIF data:
Make: Canon
Model: Canon EOS 550D
Shutter Speed: 1/250sec
Exposure Program: Manual
F-Stop: f/5.6
Aperture Value: f/5.6
ISO Speed Ratings: 800
Focal Length: 50.0mm
Lens: Canon 50mm 1.8
Flash: Did not fire
Metering Mode: Evaluative
Color Space: sRGB

I cropped slightly, resized and sharpened (unsharp mask to the values 500%, radius 0.2, threshold 0) then I saved for web as a .jpeg

I'm not sure where I'm going wrong.

[RichardTaylor]

I am not an expert on sharpening.
However this works for me
I always shoot RAW so there is no in camera sharpening/
I usually use (after resizing the pic, usually to be around 1000 pixels on the shortest side)
On a new layer (so I can reduce it's effect slightly if need be)
100-150% Amount (depending on how much is needed)
Radius = 1
Threshold = 3

Then I will convert to jpg and save it at a relatively high quality (around 9) to have a file size of at least 200k (If the photo doesn't have a lot of detail it will be more like 100K)

Here's an example. A larger image can be viewed by clicking on the pic (Flickr)
(1)

[wings of a bluebird]

ok I just edited it to those specs and came out with this.
Interesting to see if there's much difference? WDYT?



p.s. on a seperate note - any idea why I can't imbed my photos in the posts? It just comes up with the little white box with the red cross in it when I try I'm using the photo icon to insert the link?

[RichardTaylor]

It looks better to me.
What do you think?

To post a pic from flickr just copy the html code and paste it straight to the thread.
I don't use the inert image icon (on DPS) at all.

[thatBilly]

Originally Posted by wings of a bluebird

p.s. on a seperate note - any idea why I can't imbed my photos in the posts? It just comes up with the little white box with the red cross in it when I try I'm using the photo icon to insert the link?

Look above your image on Flickr, next to "Actions" and the email, facebook and twitter icons. Click the arrow next to the twitter icon and select the BBCode for a medium image. Paste that into the message area.

[wings of a bluebird]

Originally Posted by RichardTaylor

It looks better to me.
What do you think?

To post a pic from flickr just copy the html code and paste it straight to the thread.
I don't use the inert image icon (on DPS) at all.

Sweet thanks that worked a treat.
I agree in seeing them up like that I definitely see a visible difference.
May I be a pain and ask you a further question please? Do you save your files differently for printing in terms of image sharpening?

[RichardTaylor]

I do all my printing at home on an ink jet, however I do not print a lot.
I feel you have a lot more leeway with prints.

Depends on what they are and what size prints.

For quicky 6x4 prints from Lightroom I just use the standard sharpening in the print module (the images haven't been downsized for the web.

For ~10x8 (A4) I will be printing at around 250-300 DPI I use Scott Kelbys "all purpose sharpening) applied once (or twice & tweaked)
85%
Radius 1
Threshold 4

However even the pics uploaded to the web (1`000 pixels on the minimum size) still look good to non photographer friends, when resized to fit A4 and printed without any more sharpening

[wings of a bluebird]

thank you for all your help, I really appreciate it