How To Critique A Photo

By Isabel Grniet

A 6-Step Process

Critiquing is a way to express your knowledge and opinion on a photographer’s picture. At first, you may think you are just sharing your opinion, but it’s much more than that. There is a process you should learn which helps you critique a photo in the best way possible. Remember not confuse critiquing and criticizing. There are 6 simple steps to follow that are easy to learn and follow. They are...

Critiquing

Step 1: ExamineFirst thing you need to do is look at the photograph. What do you think of it? Decide whether you like the photograph or not. Create your personal opinion on it. Do not write this down yet.

First Step

Step 2: Essential questionsThere are 2 basic questions you should ask yourself and answer. 1. What is not good about the photo?2. How could it be better?

Write down your answers. This will help you spot it’s strengths and weaknesses more objectively.

Second Step

Step 3

Step 3: EmotionEssential questions to ask yourself and write down:● How does his photograph make you feel?● Is it a good feeling or a bad feeling?● Does it really impact your opinion of the photo?Write down these answers for the photographer.

Step 4: TechnicalFor this step you are going to identify the technical factors that define a photograph. Some examples are:● Clarity- Well focused, not blurry, not too zoomed in and can be well seen● Value- The range of light in a photo (The greater the range between

lighter and darker areas, the greater the impact will be)● Presentation- How the final print was produced *Could also be a creative

factor

Now write down what the photographer can improve next time.

Step 4

Step 5: CreativeNow you are going to identify the creative factors of the photograph. Here are a few examples:● Presentation- (Was it interesting? Did it grab your viewer?)● Composition- The point of interest, Cropping, Lines (Do these balance

out?)● Emotion- Feelings that are portrayed *This factor should have been

shared before (step 3)Now write down what the photographer can improve next time.

Step 5

Last Step

Step 6: Positive OpinionNow it’s your time to give the photographer what you like most about what he did with his photo (based on the creative, technical, or anything else you want to share). What is good about it? Remember, the best way to critique something is to let the creator know what he has done wrong first, and then to share positive things with them afterwards.

Sample Critique 1The first thing I notice about the photo is that it is too dark on one side. To fix this next time, I suggest the photographer should balance out the light, since it is more dark. This photo makes me feel sad for the person who was photograph. This impacts my opinion of the photo in a positive away. This photo is well focused and the point of interest seems to be clear that it was the person. The only thing i would fix is the range of light in the photograph. Also maybe adding something to the photograph would have made it a bit more interesting. Overall I did like what the photographer has done with this photograph but there was a couple things they could improve.

The first thing I notice about this photo is that it looks too foggy in the background. To fix this next time, I suggest the photographer should edit it and make it look less foggy but some might like how it looks. This photo makes me feel free and adventurous because of how open the scenery is. This impacts my opinion of the photo in a positive away. This photo is also well focused and very clear besides the back. Personally, I like most about the photo how the colors were balanced perfectly. Overall I did like what the photographer has done with this photograph.

Sample Critique 2

Maciej Duczynski

Sample Critique 3

Corey Arnold

The first thing I notice about this last photo is that it is too exposed in the top right corner. To fix this next time, I suggest the photographer should edit it by contrasting that corner a bit. This photo makes me feel curious. This impacts my opinion of the photo in a positive away. This photo is also very well focused and the point of interest seems is clear that it was the fin of a fish. The only thing i would fix was the exposed part in the photograph. I personally liked the colors used and they balance out pretty well. The fin also stands out which as interesting. Overall I did like what the photographer had presented.