Thanks to the Mod's for making this a sticky thread!
*-*-* WARNING: Expect to be critiqued heavily - ask and ye shall receive. Do not post unless you accept that others will be brutally honest *-*-*
Critics Corner is a place for in-depth photographic discussions. Posters to this thread should use their photographic knowledge and perception fully to evaluate the given photograph. Also the information provided by the shooter should be taken into account to understand the shooting moment, for its limitations, opportunities, and how well the shooter performed under those circumstances.
For Requesters:
Firsly and most importantly, try to tell us what you set out to achieve when taking the shot; what were your thoughts and hopes about the scene being captured. In other words you, the topic starter, have to start the discussion yourself by providing your own evaluation of the picture and the points you want to discuss. There is a crucial point in the taking of a photo, and much that is done before the shutter is pressed can only be slightly improved with later PP. Describing the situation, surroundings, available shooting positions, available lighting possibilities can all enable the critiquers to come up with much more meaningful evaluations of your photo.
If you think you did the best possible job you could with a given scene and are just wondering if the end result is good in the eyes of others, say that. While you may feel like you should thank people for taking the time to critique your photo, please wait, at least initially when replies are likely to be posted quickly, and reply to several at once. This avoids your thread being bumped twice for every critique you receive. Finally, remember it goes without saying that all comments you receive are "IMO"; they're just somebody's opinion. And your own opinion is what matters most.
Be aware that when you post an image to this forum, you're not asking for a pat on the back. The assumption made by everyone who reads this forum is that you're looking for honest commentary and criticism. Members will tend to critique based on their own skill level so if you're nervous about commentary you might receive, take a few minutes to explain where you think you are, photographically, and what you hope to get out of the critique. If you think that you 'almost' nailed an image, but you're not quite happy with it - say that.
For Critiquers:
You should be honest, but be constructive. You can discuss aspects of a photograph without being judgemental toward the picture or the photographer. The difference between "harsh" and "constructive" lies in the wording and the intent to be helpful. Similarly, if you think a photograph is great and don't really have suggestions for improvement, it can still be helpful to the photographer to explain what you think is right about it. Perhaps the most important issue to comment on is the photographer's motivation for taking the shot; which we are now asking them to outline. Don't assume that every photograph "needs" improvement. If you can see obvious ways that an image could have been improved, either in capture or in post-processing, please feel free to suggest your ideas. Or simply comment on the pros & cons of an image. Remember, images are posted here for critiques, not "attaboys."
*-*-* WARNING: Expect to be critiqued heavily - ask and ye shall receive. Do not post unless you accept that others will be brutally honest *-*-*
Critics Corner is a place for in-depth photographic discussions. Posters to this thread should use their photographic knowledge and perception fully to evaluate the given photograph. Also the information provided by the shooter should be taken into account to understand the shooting moment, for its limitations, opportunities, and how well the shooter performed under those circumstances.
For Requesters:
Firsly and most importantly, try to tell us what you set out to achieve when taking the shot; what were your thoughts and hopes about the scene being captured. In other words you, the topic starter, have to start the discussion yourself by providing your own evaluation of the picture and the points you want to discuss. There is a crucial point in the taking of a photo, and much that is done before the shutter is pressed can only be slightly improved with later PP. Describing the situation, surroundings, available shooting positions, available lighting possibilities can all enable the critiquers to come up with much more meaningful evaluations of your photo.
If you think you did the best possible job you could with a given scene and are just wondering if the end result is good in the eyes of others, say that. While you may feel like you should thank people for taking the time to critique your photo, please wait, at least initially when replies are likely to be posted quickly, and reply to several at once. This avoids your thread being bumped twice for every critique you receive. Finally, remember it goes without saying that all comments you receive are "IMO"; they're just somebody's opinion. And your own opinion is what matters most.
Be aware that when you post an image to this forum, you're not asking for a pat on the back. The assumption made by everyone who reads this forum is that you're looking for honest commentary and criticism. Members will tend to critique based on their own skill level so if you're nervous about commentary you might receive, take a few minutes to explain where you think you are, photographically, and what you hope to get out of the critique. If you think that you 'almost' nailed an image, but you're not quite happy with it - say that.
For Critiquers:
You should be honest, but be constructive. You can discuss aspects of a photograph without being judgemental toward the picture or the photographer. The difference between "harsh" and "constructive" lies in the wording and the intent to be helpful. Similarly, if you think a photograph is great and don't really have suggestions for improvement, it can still be helpful to the photographer to explain what you think is right about it. Perhaps the most important issue to comment on is the photographer's motivation for taking the shot; which we are now asking them to outline. Don't assume that every photograph "needs" improvement. If you can see obvious ways that an image could have been improved, either in capture or in post-processing, please feel free to suggest your ideas. Or simply comment on the pros & cons of an image. Remember, images are posted here for critiques, not "attaboys."
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