Self-critiques
the fastest way to dramatically improve your work
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aving your family and friends tell you how great your pictures are doesn’t help you at all -- as I’m sure you know. They will either tell you what they think you want to hear, or they have no clue what makes a great picture and their input feels good but there isn’t any expertise in their assessment. A critique by a professional photographer is a lot more helpful, but ultimately you have to learn to critique your own work. You can’t have a pro at your side all the time, and there is no question that the fastest way to better photography is via honest self-critiques of your images. When I say honest that doesn’t mean unnecessarily brutal such that you find fault with every aspect of your work. It simply means that you have a goal in mind -- to improve the artistry in your work -- and you are
looking for problems in your picture taking that, when addressed, will lead to better photographs. As you assess your photos, there are specific things to look for. Below is a check list I’d like to offer that will serve you well in looking at your work with a critical eye. Art is certainly in the eye of the beholder, and artistic-minded people can disagree on what makes a successful image, but I’m sure the following questions will help you take great pictures by anyone’s standards. 1. Is the subject compelling? Does it hold one’s attention? One of the most important concepts in photography is this: Great subjects make great pictures. Conversely, boring or mundane subjects usually make unimpressive pictures. When I lead photography tours, I only take my groups to places with awesome subjects because the pictures will be outstanding. The wildlife ba9