Over the years, I have worked as a professional photographer but also as a writer and editor. So, there have been plenty of times when I have had to either purchase or commission photography. This has also meant that I have had to check image quality before files are sent to print which is often when I find the most number of issues with an image. The thing to keep in mind is that print is much more unforgiving than the digital world. So, whilst you may be able to get away with a slightly blurred image when it’s used online, in print, depending on the size, it needs to be of a much better quality. So here are 5 of the most common reasons that cause me to reject an image.
A soft image
This doesn’t mean the image is blurry might be that it isn’t quite sharp enough for print. Depending on the size of the area that the image will be used in, the sharpness becomes vital. For example, if the photo is going to be used as a thumbnail then if it is slightly soft it wouldn’t be a huge issue. However, if that photo is to be used as a double-page spread then it needs to be pin-sharp and any imperfection will show up.
There are many causes as to why a photo might be soft. The most common being that the shutter speed used was too slow. But it could also be that the focus point is wrong. For example, if a photographer used a fairly shallow depth of field and accidentally focused on something behind the main subject, then the main subject might be slightly out of focus which will look soft or blurred. There are other reasons why an image could be blurred but one thing is for sure, it is by far the most common reason that I have had to reject photos in the past.
The horizon line is not straight
I must confess that of all of the potential mistakes that might be made by a photographer, this is the one the irks me the most. The reason why is that it shows laziness on the part of the photographer and also a lack of attention to detail. Whenever you have a photo that has a horizon line, you need to ensure that it is dead straight. This is especially important in seascapes when you often have a clear line separating the sea and sky. You can (and you should) aim to get your horizon line straight when taking a photo but if you do find that it isn’t, make sure you correct this in post-processing.
Too much noise
This is another error that becomes very problematic in print. Most of the time on a screen this noise doesn’t become too evident and so you can get away with it. But when printed, too much noise will make a photo look soft and also show up in the image. The biggest culprit for too much noise in an image is using an ISO that is too high. This is why you should always aim to keep your ISO as low as possible. Having said that, there are of course times when you don’t have a choice and have to increase your ISO to capture a shot. Unfortunately, that does mean that in extreme cases a photo probably wouldn’t be used in print.
ISO isn’t the only reason that noise appears in a photo. The key is to make sure you check your photo and reduce the noise in it if there is too much.
This image was taken at 6400 ISO and whilst it looks alright on screen, it would be unusable in print.
Oversaturated
Adding a dash of saturation to an image is often recommended when you are printing something as opposed to seeing it on screen. Because of the whole nature of the printing process, photos will often look a little more muted than when viewed on a screen. This is one of the reasons that it is important to understand colour profiles and how they impact photos. So adding a little bit of saturation helps brings photos to life in print. But the key is subtlety as I’ve lost track of the number of times where I have seen a photo oversaturated. This makes the photo look too “posterized” with colours not looking natural. If you are adding saturation to a photo, double-check that the end result looks natural. Be especially vigilant on skin tones that can look unnaturally orange. Remember that any editing should enhance the photo rather than trying to create a completely new one.
Notice the unnatural orange on the woman on the left. This photo is oversaturated.
Too much “dead space”
There’s “space for copy” and then there is “dead space”. What’s the difference you may ask? Not a lot in all honesty. Most of the time images that appear in magazines will require some space to ensure that the designer can add some copy (like a headline). So it is worth having photos or at least versions of your photos with this sort of space. But of course, this only works if there is text added to the image. If the image is to stand alone then this space for copy becomes “dead space” in that there is just a big gap with no point of interest. Of course, sometimes this can work to balance out the composition in what is known as “negative space”. But if it doesn’t it will just be dead space that wouldn’t work as a standalone image. The best thing you can do is to ensure you have multiple crops and versions in case an editor wants one.
This photo would work nicely in a double-page spread if there is a headline on the left-hand page, but without it, there is too much dead space.
These 5 issues are by far and away the most common reasons as to why I have had to reject images from photographers in the past. If you can eradicate these from your photography, you may just find that you end up with more photos selling or being used by your clients.
Photo credits: Kav Dadfar – All rights reserved. No usage without permission.
