Photo Critique Guide

Aircraft Hangar & The Flag. Denver, Colorado, 2012

As part of learning the art of photography, I’ll practice critiquing one of my images every once in awhile from now on (I’ll shoot for every Wednesday!).

It is quite a bit more difficult to critique one’s own images than it is to critique those of others, but I believe it to be an important step in becoming more aware at what is going on in my photographs, both artistically and technically. Maybe you can learn along with me. (You could start by trying out the 7-STEP CRITIQUE GUIDE I give you below on the image I have posted for today!)

“But,” you say, “I already have folks critiquing my images on Facebook, isn’t that good enough? They say I’m a great photographer!” Hold it right there, partner. Such statements as…”Wow!” Or, “Great photo!” Or, “Nice picture!” Or, “Beautiful sunset!”…do NOT constitute critiques. They are but kindly strokes from your friends.

If you are serious about improving your photography, as I am, then you need to get serious about your critiques. (I have already talked about this a bit in my September 19, 2012 blog entry, On Photo Critiques.)

Here, then, is my 7-STEP CRITIQUE GUIDE I’ll use for subsequent photo critiques:

7-STEP CRITIQUE GUIDE

 1. EXAMINE the image closely. Look at the content, main subject matter, the details and do a “border patrol sweep” to examine edge details.

2. Make a brief statement about your EMOTIONAL RESPONSE. For example, “When I look at this image, I feel _____________.”

3. TECHNICAL POINTS. Discuss such technical points as…exposure, color balance, contrast, lighting, bokeh/background focus (DOF, or depth-of-field), dust spots, halos, artifacts, focus, clipped highlights or blocked shadows (unless these are appropriately done for artistic purposes), appropriate horizon or vertical lines, craftsmanship of presentation (mat, frame, glass, etc. if image is displayed).

4. ARTISTIC QUALITIES. Discuss the aesthetic qualities such as…subject matter, focal point, cropping, balance, contrast, color use, tonal range if monochrome, depth, how the eye moves through the image, etc. Address composition with…overall balance, shapes, forms, textures, color/tones, fore/middle/backgrounds, leading lines, curves, dark vs light areas, negative and positive space, centered vs “Suggestion of Thirds”, extraneous elements vs critical elements, harmony vs tension, symmetry vs asymmetry.

5. POSITIVE POINTS. State what you like about the image–and specifically why. “I like_________ because_________.”

6. What to IMPROVE. Specifically state one or two areas that could be improved. These could be either technical or artistic points, although the latter may be more subjective.

7. Make an OVERALL statement about the image. Does it succeed in telling a story or provoking the desired response? How would you sum it up?

Obviously, with any given photograph, not all of the above points need to be addressed. Customize the above guide to the nature of the image at hand. (NOTE: This guide is my own composite of information available on many different web sites that address the issue of image and art critiques.)

Next time we talk about this CRITIQUE GUIDE I’ll put up one of my recent images and attempt to use the GUIDE to give an example critique. I don’t think this will be easy!