Why was this picture rejected?

Hello,

Sad to say, but the composition could be a lot better. It needs work.

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

This might be OK for posting on social media but it's not a commercial quality food image.

Compare your work with other food photos on Adobe Stock.

For example, Stock Sushi Photos

Hope that helps.

Seen at 100%, the asset should be razor sharp:

Artefacts in the image are pointing to a small sensor camera:

Images from such cameras are accepted, but they need to show the same quality as high-end cameras. They only do that when all the conditions are optimal, especially the light.

Checking the histogram, you see that there is a gap in the whites (right). There is just a peak to the very right, that is where the highlights on the plate are clipping. Best is to avoid those highlights, second best is to edit them out.

If this was a snapshot, for your pleasure, keep it like that. If it was a step into food photography, you will have to learn a lot. A Samsung Galaxy phone is probably not the best camera for this task.

It's also poorly lit and has specular highlights.

In addition to the issues I've circled, it's also severely out of focus. Food photographer should look appetizing as well, and this falls short of making me feel hungry. 🙂