FOR THE RECORD: \"My\" Guide to Evaluating YOUR P

[Leighow]

I am a 3 rolls-a-year-while-on-vacation photographer. But I love to look at your galleries and photos. Here many of you invite me (via Pekka’s site!) to critique your photos,all in an effort to improve our skills.

But, I have no special training in evaluating my own photos, yet alone yours! That bothered me. So I flushed out the following few tips to help me better judge your photos.


CREATING BETTER PHOTOS
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The simplest advice came from the New York Institute of Photography who ask you the photographer to:
STEP 1. Know your subject,
STEP 2. Focus attention on your subject., and
STEP 3. Simplify.
Their web site goes on to apply these three steps within a variety of photographic settings.


EVALUATING YOUR PHOTOGRAPHS
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I will follow the Oregon Coast Photo Club's “Guide to Evaluating Photographs when you ask me to critique your photographs ! Their guide is included below. So, that's the plan. Brace yourself!

[url http://members.tripod.com/oregoncoas.../evaluate.htm] A Guide to Evaluating Photographs[/url]

BASIC TECHNIQUE:
Is focus appropriate for the subject?
Is depth of field appropriate?
Is it exposed in a way that works for the image?

SPECIAL TECHNIQUES
Are special techniques like multiple exposures, sandwiching, panning, or cross processing used effectively? If the image is digitally manipulated, is the manipulation done well?

COMPOSITION: Is the image balanced or unbalanced? Is the balance level appropriate? If there is a main center of interest, is it well placed in the frame? Are there distracting elements in the picture that could be eliminated? Are there too many unrelated elements? Too few elements? Does the composition make effective use of leading lines? Is depth used (or not used) to good advantage? Does the composition make use of repeating forms? Does the framing work? Mergers?

LIGHTING: Does it show off the subject well? Is the contrast level appropriate? Is there lighting that would work better for the subject? If the lighting is controlled, is it well controlled?

SUBJECT INTEREST: Does the subject have interesting connotations or associations? Color interest? Interesting textures? Interesting juxtapositions?

ORIGINALITY: Does the image show an original subject or an original approach to a standard subject? Is it anonymous, or does it show a visual signature or convey a personal vision?

STORY MOOD: Does the image effectively tell a story or convey a mood?

PRINTING TECHNIQUE: Is the contrast level appropriate for the image? Are there artifacts that make any dodging and burning too noticeable? Is toning well handled?

[gerry]

what is a "roll"?

[oops]

HOWIE,

Sounds like a plan! I already respected your opinion without knowing where it originated. In all fairness, many people could follow this form and turn out crappy critiques because they lack depth of soul. You have plenty of soul, based on your previous critiques. You can critique my stuff anytime if I ever work up the nerve to post.

Also, when a post is made to the "critique" forum, the poster should be aware that there are as many souls as eyes viewing the post. We humans just don't all see the same way even when we all use the same set of rules. That is what makes this whole process so interesting and frustrating at the same time. I love the fact that you actually care enough about the poster to make certain your critique follows some order rather than a "out'a my back pocket" response.

My critiques, if I may tag to your subject post, follow a little different line. I had a teacher who taught his students only one thing: what is right. We viewed hundreds and hundreds of photos, oils, water colors, etc. and his only question was, "What's right about this image?". His teaching did, however, create a kind of "back pocket" approach to my critiques because I absolutely know what is right (he caused us to soar with the "Gods"), but I don't always know what is wrong. You may be able to help me become a better judge if you hold true to your form. Thanks for posting this.