Photographic Critiques – Digital Photography Tip of the Week

Last week I discussed some memory card maintenance to be sure your camera can record the photos that you shoot. This week I will discuss the merits of photography critiques and offer some websites where you can go to get them.

Over the past few years, photography sites that allow people to submit photos for competition or critique have become popular hangouts for those interested in photography. They offer a place to view other people’s work, read articles on different photographic techniques, and received comments and critiques about your photography. The last point is where I see the real benefit to these forums.

Submitting your photos for critique can help your photography by providing your with feedback from many other photographers. The critiques are often very detailed and can provide a tremendous amount of help into where you can improve a photo. Some of the websites even allow visitors to rate critiques, so you can gauge which might be better than others. You may also have camera or photographic clubs in your area that you can join to receive further help with your photos.

Something to beware of with some of the sites though. There seems to be a lot of people who like to post critiques such as "Great photo" or "nice work". While these may help boost your ego, they really do nothing to boost your photographic ability. There are very few photos that can’t be improved in some way. A better critique may be something along the lines of "Great Photo. The exposure is very nice as is the placement of x and y. Cropping a little off the left side just short of w may have improved this shot though". This critique praises the good, but more importantly suggests a way to improve your photo.

Some sites where you can have your photographs critiqued:

There are a lot of places on the web that feature this sort of atmosphere. Some concentrate on a particular style such as nature photography, while others have categories or are more generalized. But try them out and see how you can improve your photography.

Note: Just a reminder that if you are in the Western New York area this weekend the Niagara Frontier Regional Camera Clubs will be holding their 45th Annual Photography Convention at the Holiday Inn on Grand Island. There are a number of guest speakers including Monte Zucker, Gil Lopez Espina. Ethan Meleg and others. For more information and rates, visit http://www.vaxxine.com/nfrcc/Convention%202006/Convention2006.htm.

The digital photography tip of the week is written by the PCIN Assistant Editor, Chris Empey. Chris is a long time photographer and is currently the vice-president of the Niagara Falls Camera Club. You can see more of his photography at his Photo of the Day website.
If you have a tip to send Chris, or a question about digital photography he can address in the newsletter, send it to chris@pcin.net.

Comments 2

Leave a Reply

➤