Critiques- How to give and take-IMPORTANT

[Ed Shapiro]

Korman-

Yes! You are right! That is precisely why I do not have a propensity for offering unsolicited advice. I will only offer a critique if it is requested by the maker of the image or the photograph is posted in a forum or sub-forum which is specifically provided for the purposes of critiquing. I have never made a harsh or demeaning critique on this forum- it serves no purpose. I prefer to be honest and objective as possible. I frequently mention that my opinions are not carved in stone and I welcome challenges, arguments and other opinions. If, course the make of any images has the right to discard my critique and forget about it. I do detest “feel good critiques” without any substance but I will leave that science to the sociologists.

Personally, I feel the exercise of making and taking critiques is one of the most valuable teaching and learning tools in photography. If I point out technical errors in an image I also provide advice and remedial suggestions and try to encourage their progress and compliment their bravery in putting up their work for critical analysis.

Perhaps some folks on the forum resent advice and criticism because essentially, it is free. If they enrolled in a professional seminar or a college level course in professional photography, they might place more value on the critiquing sessions and be more inclined toward listening up.

Of course there are those who resent “rules” in artistic endeavors but how is anyone able to teach without some guidelines. What should I do- tell them to not seek opinions and go by trial and error without paying any attentions to “rules” and just be creative? I can’t inject resourcefulness or innovation into their frontal lobes and magically make them into geniuses. In teaching, what try to do is give students the tools and the knowhow to transfer images in their mind’s eye into tangible imagery through which they can express themselves and tell their stories. I can encourage them to work hard and use their creativeness but if they just can’t do it, some of them will blame their teachers.

Critiques need not be all negative- excellent work has to be analyzed as well to find what is good about it and what makes it exceptional.

Ed

[bubba01]

Being new to this site I must say I was impress with what you said. Have not been critiques as of yet. I know my photos need work because I have been out of the picture taking world for a long time. Even if I did get my first Camera when I was 12 back in the 60s. Now I'm hoping to do much more of it, this has always been a strong passion of mine. But life has other plan for me until now. One of my dreams today is to get to the point were my pictures will be look at and one day be seen as something impressive. Thank for the advice now I know what to expect and I will be ready.

[KatC]

Hi, Ed,

Thanks for the article. I'm wondering what your opinion is of PPA and other print competitions & contests requiring titles for the images, and then taking off points if the title isn't the best, even though the image might be very good? My experience is that not all photographers are as equally skilled verbally as they are photographically, and I've also seen some judges who didn't "get" the meaning of a particular title, especially when the maker used a foreign phrase or was being ironic. Of course, during judging, no one is allowed to tell the judges, "what s/he means is..." Do you have any insight or history as to why "title" was added as one of the standards?
Thanks!

[Ed Shapiro]

Kat!

I am sorry I did not get back to you sooner- there is very little action on this thread- I guess most people do not want to participate in critiquing either as submitting photographers or critics. I only came here today because I was considering taking down this thread by un-sticking it and allowing it to just roll away. I first thought it would serve as an incentive for folks to seek out good critiques or offer them to folks who are looking for honest opinions on their photography. Some people are doing that but it does not to be all that effective.

Your question about titles is a good one! I guess the idea or philosophy behind that requirement is only to set a theme for the image and see how the maker has expressed it. There was a time when many print judges would comment about “lame” themes such as using the name of the subject such as “Laura” or “Mary Jane”. Perhaps “Bob” would be not too interesting a title but something like “Big Bad Bob” would be somewhat more colorful a theme if that description was more in keeping with the actual description of the subject. Maybe a title such as “The Lady in Blue” or “All Alone” would be a good title for an ethereal image of a lady in a garden on an overcast day.

The title does not have to be a complete “poem” but somewhat poetic themes usually do well if they are found to be appropriate for the subject matter. I remember doing well with in image of a welder working on the construction of a tall building for an industrial assignment and called it “Fire on High Steel”. Just don’t title a shot of a man wearing a sombrero; “This is a Mexican in Mexico”. Perhaps “A Latin Gentleman” would be better!

Well- Thanks for the good question and my apologies for the late response.
I’ll do better next time! If folks like you keep sending in good questions, perhaps I should keep this thread stuck to the boards for a while- a kind of “required reading” for folks who want to get into critiquing and entering competitions.

I hope this helps.

Ed

[scoundrel1728]

Double post.

[scoundrel1728]

Although this post is somewhat off-topic for the original purpose of this sticky, it is a direct answer to Kat's question about the judging of titles in photographic exhibitions. Besides, I couldn't resist putting my oar in.

Because titles serve as both an introduction to and as a mnemonic link to an image, the title is part of the viewer's experience of an image. A good title enhances the viewer's experience of the image; a poor one may interfere with it. As such, the title deserves some weight in a photo competition, though exactly how much is of course subject to debate.

In a catalog or a critique whose scope is more than one image, the image will most likely be referred in the text by its title, much as a movie in a review. As such, the title, or a shortened version of it, may be repeated several times. An effective title must bring the image to the viewer's mind without having to refer back to the image itself, especially after the first time or two. An effective title must therefore be easy to remember and the link to the image most likely will need to be fairly obvious but not be too generic. The title must therefore be short but fairly specific. A tall order for a very few words to fill!

Post hoc: Oops! Double post, decided to leave in my second draft.