“Who can you count on to notice things in your work? Well, mainly yourself. If there’s something there, viewers may respond, but usually inwardly. And, if the vision is not fully realized, responses will be even muddier.” ~ Sean Kernan, Looking into the Light
There are all kinds of places online (and in photography workshops) where you can get critiques of your photos. I visited one such site and clicked on an abstract image that had eleven replies. Each reply was totally different and very subjective.
So, what does a photographer do with this information?
I have nothing against getting feedback as long as we put it in its proper place. In this post, I’d like to share some ideas on critique and suggest that you already know inside what feels good or not so good about your images.
Tara Mohr, in her book Playing Big(paid link), says:
“Feedback doesn’t tell you about you. It tells you about the person giving the feedback. It gives us facts (information) about the opinions and preferences of those giving the feedback. It is vital not because it tells us about our own value but because it tells us whether we are reaching the people we need to reach.” ~ Playing Big (Chapter 4, Unhooking from Praise and Criticism)
In other words, when it comes to a photograph, the feedback doesn’t tell us if it’s good (or if we’re good), it tells us whether or not it resonates with that particular person.
Sean Kernan, in his book, Looking into the Light, also has a chapter (10) on feedback. He says:
“The trouble with asking people what they think of your work is that they tell you. You need to listen to people very carefully, and to your own voice most of all.”
The most important response is your own. Take in external feedback but don’t make it the most important thing.
I believe that we intuitively know how to compose (especially with practice) and we know if we’ve been able to express what we saw. Some photographers will say that the photographs that they took “didn’t turn out,” meaning the images didn’t reflect what they saw. In some cases, it probably wasn’t possible. In most cases, they didn’t take the time to really explore how to do it or to clarify their intention.
Those who’ve taken my online workshops know that I’m not big on photo critique. My main goals in the workshops are:
Critique often shuts that down.
2. That they will learn to trust their instincts about what they see and why and gain greater self-awareness in the process.
They learn to critique their own images.
3. That they have a safe space to express and share their vision with others.
They’ll feel free to post without worrying about harsh criticism.
In the online world, interaction is fraught with misinterpretation and misunderstanding. When someone posts an image, they are sharing a little piece of themselves. Therefore, critique should be minimal and constructive.
I prefer to focus on the positive – whether their intention or vision comes across and to point out what does work.
I encourage participants to write about why they are posting an image and what decisions they made in the creation process. To me, this is by far the best way to learn – by analyzing our own images, writing out our intentions, and seeing how others do the same.
For example, in the photograph at the top of this post, I was drawn by the constant movement of the water towards the right. The sun was setting and lighting up the autumn trees on the far shore. By intentionally setting a longer shutter speed and panning my camera to the right, I was able to show the colour and feeling of movement – in other words, my experience of the moment. The longer shutter speed did overexpose the image, and I’m not thrilled with the white band at the top. Overall, I’m happy with the way it turned out. And, that’s what matters most.
It’s not easy to express what one saw and felt in a photograph. However, it’s a good practice to develop. In my next post, I’ll share an exercise I’ve been working on to do just that. Sometimes, it’s not possible to say it in words and the image must speak for itself. I think that these are usually the best. (Read: Guy Tal on Visual Fluency.)
What are your thoughts on critique? Have you had an experience that shut you down?
“Feedback doesn’t tell you about you. It tells you about the person giving the feedback. It gives us facts (information) about the opinions and preferences of those giving the feedback”. This is so true! We tend to see images through our own personal filters and criteria. If I see someone else’s photo, I always try and say what touches me about it. It could be in the colour or the lighting or maybe the emotion I feel. It is true that this says a lot about me and not necessarily about the picture.
In your photo above, I love that soft blue in the foreground, the slight diagonal of the movement of the water which pulls me right into the picture towards the horizon and the lovely autumn colours which seems to dilute and spread themselves up towards the sky. I hadn’t noticed the white band at the very top of the image until you mentioned it. The panning makes the composition come alive.
It is also true, as you say above, that when we show an image we are showing a little part of ourselves and therefore making ourselves a more vulnerable as we allow others in.
I always appreciate your sharing how an image resonates with you, Sandra. Yes, it’s telling me about you but this is valuable information.
“In other words, when it comes to a photograph, the feedback doesn’t tell us if it’s good (or if we’re good), it tells us whether or not it resonates with that particular person.” Truer words have never been spoken. For me, it’s always been important to understand why my own photography is resonant. It is then helpful when others explain if my work is resonant to them, or not.
I forgot to answer the question at the end where you ask if I have had an experience which shut me down. Yes, it’s when (probably well-intentioned) critiques say: “if I were you, I would have….” and the only thing I can say is: “you’re not me!” I’m not especially talking about a teacher here, but about others,like myself,who come in to critique or to leave a comment.
Good advice – don’t respond to other’s photographs with “if I were you”!
Great reminders as we put ourselves out there; to not let comments shut us down and to also be careful in our own commenting. I’ve had trouble with critical comments only once. I belonged to a small flickr group for a while that had one member who appointed herself judge and jury! Always, always she let us know she would have done something different. It didn’t take me long to drop out of that group! I’m with Sandra, I didn’t see the white band either in your image. I had to scroll back up and look. I love how your image makes me see and hear the slow ripples of water approaching!
For me the creamy dreaminess of the image is what I’m immediately drawn to and personally I do like the white stretch! I think it offsets and compliments the image making it restful, with a dimension of other-worldliness.
This is such an interesting subject, my group experience was similar to Cathy’s, the tutor spoke disparagingly of someone’s work saying it would not appeal to the majority of ‘professional’ photographers…I suggested that perhaps this is where the internet comes into its own, that he would find kinship among those with whom his images would resonate, as Tara points out!
Thank you.
I resonate so much with your image and have tried to make similar ones because moving water inspires and invigorates me. I think critique can be important to a photographer’s development IF they seek it out from a trusted source who has their best interests at heart. I have grown the most from the critique of a couple of photography professors in an in-person program I was taking a few years ago. They pointed out — gently and respectfully — where my images were strong and weak. I tried to build on the strengths and avoid the weaknesses. But only after studying carefully to assure myself that they were indeed weaknesses. I think the Internet and social media is valuable in seeing how people respond to your work, but I take all of it with a grain of salt and keep on my own path to improvement. The most wonderful part is the sharing and the encouragement. I don’t have tons of time to devote to it, because I need time to be doing my own photography, but I try to show appreciation for the work of others and if I can, give specific positive feedback. I appreciate how you continue to raise important topics, Kim, and give me pause to reflect ever more deeply.
Yes, Sherry, constructive feedback can be very helpful and as you said, you still thought carefully about whether the weaknesses were actually weaknesses.