Thumbnails - Why do they sometimes look so bad?

[shelleylauren]

I have recently noticed that certain kinds of pictures look really bad as thumbnails, but quite good at larger sizes. Also sometimes to get a picture to look good as a thumbnail it looks unnatural at full sized. I have three versions of a picture up where the one whose thumbnail looks the best, looks horribly oversaturated when seen full sized, and the one that I think looks best full sized look washed out in its thumbnail.

Also it seems in general that simple pictures that have quick, but not lasting appeal catch your eye best in thumbnails, so I am beggining to wonder if this system encourages a dangerous overemphasis on such pictures. Anybody else have any thoughts about this?

[shelleylauren]

But here's the irony. The one with the worst looking thumbnail still got the most views. Perhaps if it looks too good in the thumbnail, there's no reason to bother looking at it up closer. Or maybe people click on it to see why anyone would bother putting up such a bad picture, and either they are pleasantly surprised, or their suspicion that I haven't the slightest idea what I am doing is confirmed.

[cjmorgan]

I have three versions of a picture up where the one whose thumbnail looks the best, looks horribly oversaturated when seen full sized, and the one that I think looks best full sized look washed out in its thumbnail

Care to show us? It's just easier to follow along if we can see
in the pictures themselves what you're talking about.
CJ

[shelleylauren]

I have three versions of a picture up where the one whose thumbnail looks the best, looks horribly oversaturated when seen full sized, and the one that I think looks best full sized look washed out in its thumbnail

Care to show us? It's just easier to follow along if we can see
in the pictures themselves what you're talking about.
CJ

http://www.pbase.com/shelleylauren/photo_a_day

Gate, Gate 2, and Gate 3

Which one looks best in the thumbnail? Which one looks best big? Maybe it's just my screen.

And, btw, the best print version I've come up with so far is Gate 3 with its shadows lightened and its edges sharpened.

[halesr]

Personally, I like GATE in both the thumbnail and the larger version. I think it is a bit more saturated. My second choice on both counts is Gate 2.--Rene

[rileypm]

All three gate thumbnails appear representative of the larger photo on my screen but keep in mind I wear reading glasses both to read and view my monitor. I like gate 3 the best because it is not as shadowed. Just my own preference.