General Photo Critique Guideline

guard_x

Guideline ni aku extract dari PM forum... posted by yoong (kalau tak silap)... agak panjang... ;)

Critiques: A General Guide

A. Technical aspects

1. Exposure - underexposed or overexposed?
If yes, any idea what caused it? And always try to give a suggestion on how to overcome the problem. Eg- should he/she meter another area (or use a different metering technique), or maybe set a different shutter speed/aperture or use the exposure compensation.

2. Sharpness/Focus
- Is the subject in focus? Is it sharp enough or it should be sharper? (There are some other varieties, for e.g soft focus is widely used too in portraits and landscape so dont confuse this with blurred photography due to handshake, etc)
- Do you think the focus should be somewhere else? If yes where and why?
- If the photograph isnt sharp are there any suggestions to improve it? For e.g, higher shutter speed or use of tripod.

3. Depth of field
The DOF shallow or wide? Which is more suitable in that photograph and what would you to improve it.

4. Lighting
Look at the photograph and see whether the lighting used is appropriate. Should there be more lighting or less? If it's outdoor, is the lighting too harsh or too dark? Suggestions like choosing a better time of the day, use of reflectors to fill in the shadow, using fill-flash can be stated.

5. White balance in digital photography
Do you think that the white balance is set correctly? Is there a colour cast in the photo?

6. Post processing
- The use of Photoshop and other similar software.
- In this area, you can suggest some post processing technique to improve the photograph. For e.g, using Unsharp Mask (USM) to help sharpen the image, or converting the photography to greyscale (B&W) to give better mood, etc.

B. Composition

1. Subject position
- in the center or the used of Rule of Thirds. Or is the subject somewhere else in the frame. Do you think the composition worked? Or is there a better placement of the subject in your opinion.

2. Converging or leading lines
- Did the photographer include any of these? If he/she didnt, is there elements in the photograph that the photographer can use to give a better impact?

3. Cropping and framing
- So is the photo cropped/framed properly? Are there distracting elements in the photograph? Similarly, is there an element which is cropped off that shouldnt be.

4. Overall
- what other suggestions do you have regarding the composition? For e.g should the photographer include more space around the subject or crop off the extra space? Is the scene too busy, or too empty?

C. The aesthetic/artistic impact

This area is pretty much subjective. Aesthetically/artistically different photographs affect different individuals. Some may get offended on certain genre of photography while other enjoy it. Try to have an open mind while dealing with this area of photography.

1. Mood
- So anyway, the first question would be "How does the photograph make you feel?" What kind of mood did you interpret from the photograph? Do you think that the mood is what the photographer wants to convey?

2. Story
- so does the photograph have one? If no, what suggestions you have that can give a better story? You can link the suggestions with the technical side of it, like composition, lighting, DOF, etc.

3. Overall
- do you like the photo and do you think it has an impact? If yes, why and if no why?

All these information would greatly help the photographer to improve on his/her work. Critiquing doesnt only help the photographer, it also help the critic, i.e you. It lets your mind work on the scene and when you are in that same situation, you'll find that you will use the same advice you have given. It's like some sort of a practice in your head.

Another thing, do not be afraid to voice out your honest opinions in the critique, eventhough you are only a beginner commenting on a professional's photograph. But remain polite and try not to get offensive in your critiques. We are all here to learn and giving out honest opinions will help us to improve. There is no point on simply saying "Great shot, very nice colours" and not explaining more.

Similarly, when receiving critiques on your photograph, try to have an open mind and think about what the critic wrote. Dont get so easily upset on a harsh critique and out of anger, reply some useless comment. If there is any clarification, reply back politely and ask for a better explanation rather than initiate an argument. If you were looking for help in a particular aspect, for e.g lighting, state so in the comments section when you post the photograph. Adding technical details and how you went about taking the photograph will not only help the critic to understand your photo better but is also a good way for members to learn some techniques from you.

A note on the rating system in the critique corner. If you intend to rate the photograph, please include a critique to justify the rating. There is simply no use of a 10/10 or 1/10 rating without knowing why the photograph deserve such a rating. It is just numbers and thumbs, what is important is the words.

Lastly, there is a general perception that critiquing means to find fault with. This is not true I believe, you can find no fault with the photograph and yet write a critique. Both positive and negative feedback will help the photographer in improving his/her work.

These are just my guidelines I use and I did not include every aspect is there to critique, so members are welcomed to add any advice or tips. Hope this article gave a better idea on how to write a critique. Cheers.

:ah:

OD

geng, bagus la dia punye guidelines tuu.. aku baru tau... hehehe..
N'way mmg tak penah guna pon since sindirik pon baru nak ambik tau pasal photography.. hehee..

guard_x

Guideline ni bukan saje berguna bila nak kritik photo orang lain tapi jugak utk photo kita sendiri... :ah:

hanna1905

bagus...dpt info mcm ni..

tuan mod bleh tak stickykan thread ni..sbb saya rasa guideline ni berguna utk semua org..:bgrin:

belanga

very helpful guideline.

korok

setuju ...setuju ....

AyAres151

best sangat baca tp den paham skit2 jerk.. sbb den Buto BI... ehehe...

err..kalu MOD terangkan dalam BM kan lagik la best yg amat...

agent_sesat

huhuhu..

aku lemah giler kalo exposure...dlm studio..
lelagi manual...
semua yer hampeh..
susah giler masa bebaru belaja manual...

guard_x

Susah masa bebaru belajar je ek...? Sekarang sure dah terror benar ni... Apalagasss... ajar2 la kitaorg ni yang tak kurang kehampehan nya... :bgrin:

Originally posted by agent_sesat at 1-6-2005 11:42 PM
huhuhu..

aku lemah giler kalo exposure...dlm studio..
lelagi manual...
semua yer hampeh..
susah giler masa bebaru belaja manual...

nickilroy

Originally posted by agent_sesat at 1-6-2005 11:42 PM
huhuhu..

aku lemah giler kalo exposure...dlm studio..
lelagi manual...
semua yer hampeh..
susah giler masa bebaru belaja manual...

hehehe
aku pong x reti gune manual , selalunye aku gune
P mode or AV (canon)
sape leh ajar gune Manual
:bodek:

JoeFoto

alah....manual kene adjust aperature ngan shutter speed...tu jer setahu akulah....tapi kene buat test shot dulu..silap2 gambar gelap ...kalau dah expert takyahlah nak test......

Caranthir

Bila kita nak buat C&C betul2 kat gambar2 bawah tu semua? hehehe

Very useful information. TQ

nur_izz

tq quard_x, really useful for beginner like me

R2D2

maklumat yg berguna
tqvm

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natasya_sara

ni kena bagi bf tgk la..