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January 16, 2026
Question

Rejected photos

Hello all,

 

I've uploaded many images recently, most have nee rejected for "Quality Issues". Can someone please help me understand what exactly I need to improve/change? Please see example image. CC welcome.

8 replies

Ricky336
Community Expert
Community Expert
January 17, 2026

Hello,

I think you could improve your composition. What do you want to show? What is the photograph about? How could it be used in a commercial setting?

Think about these types of questions if you want to submit to Adobe Stock.

Composition is important!


Composition:
https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud/photography/discover/photo-composition.html

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Nancy OShea
Community Expert
Community Expert
January 16, 2026

You're competing with content captured by 20-40 megapixel cameras. Small phone cameras can't produce the same level of visual quality. 

 

If you're serious about being a Stock photographer, start saving for better equipment (new/used DSLR or Mirrorless camera, a couple of lenses & tripod). 

https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/g63627180/best-cameras-for-beginners/

 

Consider enrolling in some Photography courses to learn about camera settings, lighting, composition and post-editing in Photoshop or Lightroom.  Photography is like learning to play a musical instrument— a commitment to study & practice, practice, practice.

 

For more tips, read your Contributor User Guide:

Hope that helps.

 

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Nancy O'Shea— Product User & Community Expert
jon_8733Author
January 17, 2026

Hmm, thanks. I shot this with a nikon Z30 in RAW. I'm not sure why it's looking like a shot from a phone. I exported it from LRC as a JPEG with quality=100, sRGB, 300 DPI. Should I use another format? I'm not understanding why I'm having this issue.

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jon_8733Author
January 17, 2026

Here's another image from the same batchthat was rejected. Does it look like it was from a phone as well?

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Jill_C
Community Expert
Community Expert
January 16, 2026

This appears to be a low resolution cell phone snapshot due to the lack of sharp detail. It's underexposed, and would require a model release due to the recognizable person in the frame.

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Jill C., Forum Volunteer