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There has been some talking lately among the staff here at Photography Board in relation to the critiques section and the regular “Show us your pictures” section. The line between the two seems to have been blurred, muddied, and is serving the same purpose these days. I’m going to talk about critiques here in this entry with the hopes that we can start using that forum for what it is intended for.
Being critiqued should be nothing new for the photographer. As a photographer, you should be evaluating your own photography from the time you spot a scene through printing. You should be asking yourself how to improve at each stage of the game. Personally, I am my own worst critic, and tend to find things that I don’t like in each of my own photographs. These are usually things that are not readily visible to the casual viewer, but since I am intimately familiar with the content, I know what to look for.
That is the first step. Get used to your own critiques and use that as a tool to improve your photography. The second step is to seek out and accept critiques from others. That is where the Critique forum comes into play here. However, like with all other tools, there is a correct way and an incorrect way to use it.
The incorrect way would be to simply post a picture. While you are likely to get all sorts of comments and critiques, they will be of no use to you because they likely won’t be addressing why you want it critiqued. Only marginally better is the attached question “What do you think?” or “How can I make this better?” Questions like that gloss over a very important part of why you are asking for a critique. You want to know about a specific aspect or aspects of the picture. It might be exposure, it might be composition, it might just be is the subject interesting visually. This will direct the critique and make it much more helpful to you.
If done correctly, a critique is a great tool for learning. When you are wanting a critique on a photograph (you have to want an honest critique here), you need to ask yourself what you don’t like about the picture. You have already critiqued it in your mind….right? Maybe the picture is great and you are very happy about it. If you are wanting a critique on it, then you are wanting to validate your opinions. State that in the opening post. We need to know what you are wanting to gain from the critique.
That being said, those that go in and choose to provide critiques should also know that there are correct and incorrect ways to critique a photograph. An incorrect critique would be “I don’t like it”, or “I like it”. Either of those statements offer no information to back the opinion up. It becomes an opinion on the picture, not a critique.
Here is an example of what I am talking about. It was posted by Lydia K100 in reference to a critique of one of my photographs. She states an opinion, but offers no reason why she has this opinion, nor suggestions on what she would like to see. There is nothing to learn from this post.
“I don’t really think it is that great. I don’t know why but the picture just doesn’t really click.”
Critiques are constructive in nature, even if negative. If you like a picture, point out why you like it. What works for you in the image, what aspect sets it apart from others? If you don’t like it, or don’t like an aspect of it, be prepared to elaborate on your opinion. Offer suggestions about how you would have approached the scene as a photographer. If the scene doesn’t work at all, then share why it doesn’t work. Offer suggestions about what to look for in the future.
Here is an excerpt from a post by Gnarly1 in reference to one of my photographs. What he said is exactly what a proper critique should sound like. He identifies a problem, states why it is a problem for him, and follows up with a suggestion.
“The tree trunk in the middle of the image is a problem for me, as it disrupts the ‘leading lines’. There is no clear center of attention. Too many competing elements, and perhaps would have been better with longer lens.”
There was nothing negative about his tone, he was stating an opinion supported with evidence as well as a solution. This is a constructive statement, and one which can be learned from.
Now we know a little about how to post a critique thread, as well as how to properly critique a photograph. The next step in this process is how to make it all work together. A critique is by its very nature an opinion based evaluation of one’s work. The one asking for the critique needs to be willing to hear negative stuff (although there is no reason for things to get nasty in a critique), as well as the positive. That means that nothing should be taken personally by either party. There should be a common respect for both sides of the critique. There is plenty of room for discussion when asking for critiques. There is nothing wrong with asking some more pointed questions of the reviewer in order to better understand where they are coming from, and what exactly they may mean. This is all part of the learning process. As sometimes happens though, these discussions might turn into arguments. This is no longer constructive and will dilute the discussion.
Lets start using the Critiques Forum to its fullest, and lets all become better photographers for it. The better you become at evaluating other’s work, the better you will become at doing the same with your own.
Thanks for posting this Greg :-). I lot of people are scared of being critiqued or even giving critique because they might conceive it as being nasty or someone being nasty to them. In reality, it is the only way to learn and grow in photography and in art in general.
Well done Greg.
A critique should offer both positive and negative from a knowledgeable source. I was asked how come I didn’t enter photos in a particular show. It awarded only ribbons, but they wanted me to participate and I chose not to. The reason was the critique.
I saw the "judges" critique and it made me laugh. The critiques basically said the top photo stunk. Nothing positive was said. So if it stunk so bad, was it just the least stinky of the bunch or were the judges being WAY too picky? I left wondering what THEIR photos looked like!
I have learned to be EXTREMELY cautious about critique. The reason is art is subjective. Also I evaluate whether I am shooting at the level of the individual whose work I am reviewing or not. If not, I don’t offer any critique.
My procedure on critique is quite simple. The first thing I do is review the critiquer’s photos. Are they doing in their photography what they are asking me to do? Nine times out of ten, the answer is no. So if they can’t do it, what gives them the right to ask me to do it? It just gets dismissed. They want perfection they aren’t achieving.
If they are shooting above my level, I take them seriously. That is how I have learned what I have learned. I do things differently from most due to those who have walked me through what I have learned so far. That doesn’t make me right or wrong, it just makes me different. If someone critiques my lighting, they better be lighting the way they say I should. I don’t take well to "do as I say and not as I do" people. I learn by example.
That is why I wasn’t specific about your photo NC. I don’t shoot waterfalls (I live in Florida) and I only do the occasional landscape photo. If I were at an art fair, the photo would get a cursory look, but that would be it for me. But as I said, that doesn’t mean it is a bad photo or won’t sell. It just means it didn’t work for me.
If you really must know why, to me it was just another waterfall photo. Nothing that grabbed me by the nose and said "DIG THIS BUDDY". It doesn’t stand out from the crowd. Because I see so many waterfall photos (and bird photos, etc.) I become somewhat insulated and they really have to make me say WOW. If you compare it to this one ( http://www.flickr.com/photos/quas/2703407/ ) you can see the difference. The symmetry here works for me. Everything leads the eye down the falls to the lake front. Hopefully that will give you an idea of what I see.
This wasn’t an extension of my critique post, I just used that as an example so I wasn’t pointing out anything about anyone elses’s photo. I wanted the comments to be about mine cause I knew I would be ok with it being reposted here.
H20, I respect your opinion on my work. I know that waterfalls, much like sunsets are done and done again. That takes a lot of the umph away from an individual shot. I personally enjoy photographing them, and I do it primarily for me. The fact that you don’t photograph them does not hinder your ability to critique it though. I do very little portraiture, and don’t really care for the little that I do. However, I feel that I am able to honestly critique a portrait. My solutions might be wrong due to my inexperience, but I could shed some light on potential problems or point out something that really works well.
All critiques must be tempered depending on who is giving it. Like you stated, it should come from a knowledgeable source…someone who is qualified to critique an image. Granted, it doesn’t take much to determine if you like it or not, and why. Always give more weight to those who you know, and respect over those you don’t.
As for contests and judging, that is a whole different post. I’ve had my run-ins with those issues, and have wondered if the judges had their eyes open. I think that judging and critique are two different things, but one should have the ability to do both if they attempt to do either.
Totally agreed NC. You and I are on the same wave length. Although judging is critiquing in a sense.
In judging, you are looking at things through a critical eye. Offering a critique is taking that information and fleshing it out much further.
Thanks for quoting my comments. I am my own worst critic. I find some people have liked what I have found unacceptable, even discarded photographs. One of my color slides that I threw in the waste basket ended up in the 1971 OSU yearbook. I still think it stinks…39 years later…
A photograph that is ‘neutral’ or even ‘weak’ aesthetically can also be useful as a ‘document’. Let’s not forget the most valuable aspect of photography is its ability to capture reality. I think way too much manipulation is being done today. People are losing their focus. Look at Pop Photo from 40-50 years ago…you’ll not see photos like those today.
Thank you for showing the proper way to criticize photographs. This was very helpful, especially for the beginning photographer.