Why was this photo rejected

[Thomas002]

I am trying to figure out why this photo of Alhambra palace, and several other taken in same session, were rejected with reason "technical quality". All were taken ISO64 and on stable tripod.

[Jill_C · Accepted solution]

When I zoom in >100% I think it does look soft. You've also got some sensor or lens spots in the sky.

[Marianne-Deiters]

It is blurred. You can sharpen it, but large areas of the photo remain without detail.

[Thomas002]

Thanks - I liked the photo but you are right, I need to improve my technique 

[Abambo · Accepted solution]

The picture is slightly underexposed. 

The histogram shows that the Whites are missing (right).

It's missing contrast and could get a small boost in sharpness.

The birds could go away, and cropping out the left part will help the visual aspect of the picture. 

I wonder if you edited the exposure because I see some noise in the sky.

The white balance is a little on the cool side. You can warm that up a bit.

After those edits, you may resubmit and see what happens.

[RALPH_L · Accepted solution]

The photo needs to be sharpened. The color and exposure needs to be corrected. The birds in the sky need to be removed. The towers need to be straightened a little and the horizon should be leveled out. Also, I would crop out the portion of the building on the left.

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