What causes a digital photo of trees to look unreal?

Question

I take so many pictures of trees with my 5 megapixel digital Nikon camera and so often they do not look realistic. They look like a bad watercolor. I have tried every setting. What can I do differently? Also, is it possible to get really good pictures with a point and shoot digital camera?

Answer 1

It would help to see some samples. If you can upload them somewhere, we can check them out.

However...

If you are trying to enlarge part of a 5 MP image, you will find that they just lose it in the details. You have to realize the limitations of your system.

Check this out:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/samfeinstein/944309888/
Click on "All sizes" and then "Original." Scroll the center of the picture where there are some people on a dock. Look at the people and the trees. Is this the "bad watercolor" effect that you are talking about? It's worse on the right side of this demo. This is as good as it gets with a small sensor, such as you find in most point and shoot digital cameras.

Now check: http://www.flickr.com/photos/samfeinstein/476181751/
The right side is worse in this pair, also, but it's actually the camera that came out better in the previous comparison. The left side is a digital SLR, which has a much larger sensor. This camera (the D200) is capable of very sharp images, but because I was comparing sensors and not Photoshop enhancements, I did not do any post-processing, including (a lack of) sharpening.

I just tried something for you. (And me.) See http://www.flickr.com/photos/samfeinstein/1928154854/ and go to the original size. This is as good as I can make this image on either side. The leaves are still not crystal clear, but they are 1,000 feet away.

Here's an interesting shot that isn't really a "test," but it might be of interest to you. There are trees just about 50 yards from the camera and then they go off into the horizon, a mile and more away. You can see how leaves look in all sizes here on a 10 MP D200.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/samfeinstein/1250011561/

If you want to see the potential for "real" in a digital image, check this out in the original size:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/samfeinstein/1768957753/

Now... What is happening in your camera? All digital images have some softening happening in the form of noise reduction, particularly if you are using a higher ISO. This noise reduction actually blurs theimage somewhat. Leaves have so much detail in them, it just gets lost in this noise reduction process as the leaves and their detail can be almost as small as a pixel or two in the final image.

Of course, if the leaves are close enough to the camera to be large in the image, they can be as sharp as anything else you might photograph. http://www.flickr.com/photos/samfeinstein/1254710884/

By the way... I don't think this is limited to digital images. Take a look at some trees taken on film and you'll see the same thing. This is a POOR example to show, as it is APS film printed on matte paper, but look at the trees: http://www.flickr.com/photos/samfeinstein/441244810/in/set-72157601316534420/

Answer 2

Its the camera. Most likely the resolution was much lower then (fewer megapixels). Unless you happened to get one with a low quality lens. I have a 1MP digital camera with a very good lens from 1997 and if I took a 1MP photo with a 2009 digital camera, it looks just as good (or just as bad, depending on how much you blow it up) as the 1997 camera with the same settings.

Answer 3

Are you trying to enlarge these photos? That may be the problem. Check your settings: You should be shooting in the largest format possible, and on fine (or superfine if you have it). And with 5 mp there is only so much enlargement you can do. You can get a great shot with a point and shoot, but you must have your setting correct and don't expect much in terms of enlargments.

Answer 4

Make sure you kee the camera very steady, my 6mp camera takes awesome pics but if i move it just a little, it will come out kind of blurred and water colored like you said.

Answer 5

use a tripod and a small apeture, its possible to get great images with a point n shoot

cameras are only as good as the operator

a

Answer 6

What can I do differently?

step furthur back and crop it on your computer.
if that does not work
open up(hp image zone) if you have it and you can change it so the image will become sharper.


Also, is it possible to get really good pictures with a point and shoot digital camera?


Yes....i have one and have taken amazing pictures

Answer 7

its the way light hits and rebounds off leaves

Answer 8

It's just not a good camera.