Wow! Did this thread ever get off track.
Criticism is a tricky subject and should be approached only with people who are qualified to give it. The problem is that most people lack the knowledge and/or the verbal skills to give legitimate advice in a way that engages the person asking for the critique, is constructive and feels safe.
From what I saw, the OP asked for comments beyond "It sucks" and, in the process, got more than s/he intended. Too many people went off on tangents because, I suppose, they see the Internet as an anonymous venue for s**t-tossing.
Of the legitimate comments I saw on this thread, far too many of them strayed beyond the technical insight the OP wanted and made values judgments that did not offer perspective on aperture, shutter speed, composition or depth of field. Criticizing the OP for not doing what you clearly would have done neither provides a legitimate criticism nor positions your criticism as credible or worth reading. We all have to learn somehow; personally, I've learned more from my mistakes than my successes. With respect to speaking down to someone from the vantage point of your experience, if you're able to learn from an insult, good for you, but that isn't what the OP requested. If you can't provide respectful criticism, then either don't offer it or don't blame the other person for being offended by your offensive comments.
This isn't rocket science; it all goes back to what we learned in grade school. If you want to play in the sandbox, don't throw sand in the other kids' faces.
