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Stephen Walton
If you’ve never been part of a photo critique, you’ll never know how valuable they are for a photographer.
Of course, there’ll be thousands of people in online camera groups willing to say, ‘great shot’, ‘nice colours’, ‘needs to be sharper’ etc but is that really a critique? No.
A critique, for photographers, involves a detailed review of an individual’s work. Sometimes it’s one image, sometimes it’s a full portfolio.
Some formal photography associations require a critique to take place to allow members to achieve qualifications. They are widely known, in photography circles, to be direct, unvarnished and awakening to put it lightly.
This can be really good, if you’ve got thick skin, but there are alternatives which we’ll come to shortly.
Photo critiques offer a deconstruction of your photo looking at lighting, colours, composition, sharpness (where relevant) and storytelling. They are great ways to get a new perspective on your photography.
Living in the bubble of your own photography means you don’t always see issues. Spending a long time like this means you can become stubborn to change.
It’s best to get your photos critiqued even when you’re just starting out – when you’re most open to change and advice.
Each month iPhotography PLUS members get 2 photo critique videos to enjoy. One is based on that months’ competition and the other is a general review of recent images.
Watch a competition photo critique on the theme of ‘Unedited Photos’. If you enjoy the critique become an iPhotography PLUS member to get feedback like this on your photography.
As we said some critiques can give you the cold, hard truth of your photo skills – which is fine for some, but not for all.
Photo critiques should really be balanced – some home truths weighed out with praise and encouragement. Constant criticism of your work can be painful to pick yourself up from. We all need a little pat on the back as motivation to go forward.
At iPhotography we deliver what we call a sh*t sandwich when needed. A little bit of praise and encouragement either side of some constructive criticism. This way there are good and bad things to reflect on.
Understanding the photographer’s skill level, camera kit and accessibility is also an important perspective. Obviously, this takes time to get to know the photographer first, but it’s ultimately helpful.
There’s no point suggesting a photographer buy a brand new full-frame camera when they’ve just started out (and shooting on their iPhone for example). You wouldn’t compare Lewis Hamilton to your Father’s driving, even though they both own cars. That’s just unfair!
Believe it or not, you’re already in the right place! Almost!
When you join as an iPhotography PLUS member you can upload photos regularly to our gallery where our professional tutors will offer feedback on your shots. It’s all part of the service! Our tutors are pro photographers themselves from a wide range of backgrounds and years of experience behind them.
As well as the gallery feedback iPhotography PLUS members also get monthly video photo critiques. One is centred around our monthly competition theme and the other reviews general uploads from PLUS members to the gallery.
We rotate the featured photographers in every critique to make sure everyone gets featured as often as possible.
Our critiques are entertaining and helpful. We aim to offer actionable points and ways to improve as well as highlight the great work you’re doing. We even live stream some of our critiques so you can ask us questions live about your photos.
But don’t take our word for it, here’s what our iPhotography PLUS members say about our photo critiques.
If you want to get your photo feedback and deeper critiques from pro photographers and other aspiring shooters, then join iPhotography PLUS.
Use the button below to join iPhotography PLUS and unlock all the benefits on top of our monthly video critiques.
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