Commenting On A Photo

By studying the work of others, you can not only gain inspiration and motivation, but you can also learn from their mistakes. There is no better way to improve your own photography than by examining and analyzing other peoples pictures, and by doing so, you will hopefully help others to improve theirs.

It does not matter if you don’t know your f/stop from your ISO. All it takes is lots of honesty and a bit of thought. You may not have the technical knowledge to describe in detail how a particular effect was achieved, or what the photographer could have done to improve certain aspects, but you are all able to describe how an image may make you FEEL or how it relates to you personally. As the saying goes ‘I don’t know art but I know what I like’.

The main point to remember when making comments is to explain them. If you like or dislike something in particular, say why and give constructive feedback If you don’t like something, say what the photographer could have done differently to improve it. Be honest, but always polite and remember you are critiquing a picture, not a person.

Criticism will not be taken personally if it is done in a constructive manner.

The first aspect to consider is the initial impact of the image, does it jump out at you, does it make you want to keep looking, does it make you think or ask questions? Describe how the picture makes you feel, everyone is different and every image will say different things to different people, so it is useful for the artist to know how his work affects the people who are looking at it.

If you feel capable and want to, you can also comment on the technical quality of the photograph. Is it sharp and in focus (not the same thing), is there too much, or too little, depth of field? Is the picture too light or too dark (exposure)? Consider the options the photographer had at the time of shooting, what could they have done differently and again, most importantly, why.

Think about the composition of the image, is your eye drawn to the main subject or does another element distract you from it? Could the picture have been cropped differently to better accentuate the subject? Another factor with digital images is post processing, if the image has been manipulated in any way does this add or detract from the end result?

Take the time to think about what makes some pictures work and some not. When you are confident in your analysis of other images you can then objectively apply these principles to your own work and I guarantee you will enjoy the rewards.

In summary:


* Write down how the photo makes you feel?
* If it grabs your attention - why is it?
* Is the colour pleasing to your eye?
* What do you like about the composition?
* If you had taken it what would you change?



Good news - Critical news - Suggestions- Good news.