It's very hard to comment without seeing examples, but regarding shallow DOF...

Do any of you ever try testing it?  Why not take the same shot three times with the focus on different parts of the image, then submit all three.  If the rejection is actually based on the location of focus, and you get one accepted, then you should be able to work with that feedback to your future advantage.

That's what I did a couple of years ago, and I've never had a problem since.  Obviously I can't guarantee this will work for you, but I hope so.

It's very hard to comment without seeing examples, but regarding shallow DOF...

Do any of you ever try testing it?  Why not take the same shot three times with the focus on different parts of the image, then submit all three.  If the rejection is actually based on the location of focus, and you get one accepted, then you should be able to work with that feedback to your future advantage.

That's what I did a couple of years ago, and I've never had a problem since.  Obviously I can't guarantee this will work for you, but I hope so.

All my recent 'focus' rejections were shots of groups of small objects on a light table, camera mounted a couple of feet above and leveled with a bubble level, entire subject - corner to corner - in the same plane at right angles to the camera.  Aperture smaller than necessary to ensure DOF more than covers the entire subject.  Focus verified with AF indicator.  Since these are RAW images, some minimal sharpening was applied while viewing at 100%.  Images then checked at 100% including corners.

Every point in these images was in focus and there is nothing I could do to "improve" it, except  to enhance the edges artificially.  In a nutshell: the rejections were nonsense.

Yes, it happens often enough that most or all of a submission is rejected for "focus". These are images similar to many others that are regularly accepted. I usually resize and send them in again, or just shrug and move on.

Yes, it happens often enough that most or all of a submission is rejected for "focus". These are images similar to many others that are regularly accepted. I usually resize and send them in again, or just shrug and move on.

By what factor do you downsize? 

Quote from: pancaketom on December 13, 2012, 12:42

Yes, it happens often enough that most or all of a submission is rejected for "focus". These are images similar to many others that are regularly accepted. I usually resize and send them in again, or just shrug and move on.

By what factor do you downsize?

I usually drop them down to about 5 MP.

and still no one volunteering their rejected images to be scrutinized? 

I no longer submit to Shutterstock, but, many years ago there was a discussion about this on their forum and they had a separate area on their site where they explained the rejection reason.  I know at one time there was a wiki of some sort in the submitter tools area.  I don't have a link.

The rejection reason isn't necessarily because the image is out of focus....the rejection reason is because there is no real topic in the image that grabs a person's attention or that leads the eye to something in the image.

At least that's what I remember.

Interesting thread.

I keep a list of all the rejections and reasons (yes im that sad) and something changed a few months ago.  Previously rejections were  a fairly even spread of lighting/composition, noise and so on, no real one reason standing out.  Suddenly a few months ago "focus" started happening and looking at the stats since October onwards for me 75% of all rejections have been for focus.
Nothing has changed with my setup since then and a lot of the images were taken as part of large shoots a while ago and others from that shoot were accepted.
If it ISNT automated screening then something somewhere has changed.
Some do seem to be maddeningly inconsistent though for example 1 accepted another taken some 3 seconds later (tripod, locked exposure, locked focus, bright sunlight, fast shutter, infinity distance non moving subject) rejected.  A blue background image accepted whilst a white background made from the same photo rejected for focus and so on.
It's almost like a reviewer gets bored and rejects photos they dont like by just clicking "focus" as he goes through without really looking sometimes.
That said they really do seem to dislike blurred background shots even if the main subject is razor sharp- more often than not those get rejected for me.

The vast majority of the time i'll resubmit the rejected focus ones (no note left, done as a new submission) and they'll be accepted.

...
I keep a list of all the rejections and reasons (yes im that sad) and something changed a few months ago.  Previously rejections were  a fairly even spread of lighting/composition, noise and so on, no real one reason standing out.  Suddenly a few months ago "focus" started happening and looking at the stats since October onwards for me 75% of all rejections have been for focus.
...

Wow.  Thanks for the sanity check and the very interesting statistics.  As far as I'm concerned, you've removed all doubt - a piece of software is doing a pre-screen for "focus" and is simply kicking out a ton of false positives.  It's being confused by subject, texture and color.  It's inconceivable that human reviewers could be responsible.

I've decided to stop submitting to SS for now.  At some point they might make a change, or even issue a statement acknowledging what's going on.   But realistically, I doubt that they care very much about rejecting good images because they have more than enough as it is, and the overriding goal is to cut reviewing costs.

I've decided to stop submitting to SS for now.

Why not try raising that support ticket?  You have nothing to lose by doing so, and you might gain something.

Quote from: stockastic on December 14, 2012, 15:38

I've decided to stop submitting to SS for now.

Why not try raising that support ticket?  You have nothing to lose by doing so, and you might gain something.

Mainly because I'm ticked off and it's just more hassle.  And if I got a canned reply including a link to "Tips on how to focus your camera" I think I'd lose it.

Hopefully after I walk away for a while and calm down, I'll do it.

In the last couple of months my focus rejections have gone through the roof theres a definite issue here. Waiting to see what happens to my next batch!

Yes you will!

If posted properly we can see a full resolution image at 100% it is quite easy.

Would you like for me to post you the links explaining how it is done?

The newest is so easy a frigging Baby could do it!

Quote from: ClaridgeJ on December 15, 2012, 02:27

However why dont you just post some, impossible to judge otherwise.

Because you won't be seeing the images @ 100% full rez. And as stated earlier.....most of our re-submitted images are accepted after being rejected the first time around so your opinion becomes irrelevant. That's why.