# Best place to get honest critique of photos?



## Bert63 (Nov 15, 2020)

You ever edit yourself around in circles?

You ever like one technique only to find that years later you hate it?

Is there a place where you can get honest critiques of your photos without the Reddit atmosphere?

I’m surprised that we don’t have that here.

Thanks in advance.


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## magarity (Dec 9, 2020)

Maybe there should be some photo critique categories in the subscribers only section.


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## unfocused (Nov 15, 2020)

I know this is rude, but this forum would be the last place I would go for an honest critique of photos.

There are some very talented photographers on this forum. But, overall, when people have asked for opinions of their photos, the responses seem to fall into two categories:

1) The standard, "Oh that's great" remarks that are just affirmations to make people feel good.

2) The technical nitpickers whose only taste is in their mouth.

I think the capable photographers aren't really comfortable with criticizing other peoples' work and you don't really want the opinion of the others. 

As far as editing yourself into circles. That's a sign that you are learning and growing.


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## privatebydesign (Nov 15, 2020)

Bert63 said:


> You ever edit yourself around in circles?
> 
> You ever like one technique only to find that years later you hate it?
> 
> ...


 Yes absolutely, especially on big editing projects, composites etc. Now before delivery I will wait a couple of days and keep walking away and coming back to make sure it isn't rabbit hole garbage!

Not really as I am a traditionalist and don't readily adopt the current 'look', though for commercial work I do have to move with the times primarily with composition. Having said that almost all my work has a very short shelf life so the older deliveries are done and gone and nobody cares how bad they would look today.

Not that I know of, I have put work into all kinds of places for critique and find it is generally a reverse critique by me of the person doing the critique. Critiquing is difficult and it takes a special skillset to be fair, relevant and consistent across photographic styles and genres. It is akin to dog shows where they are comparing the best of breeds against each other but throw in the confusion of few people knowing or understanding what the breed is supposed to look like and virtually nobody getting formal training!

See below, I have critiqued images here before when people have specifically asked for it and would happily e involved in a critique thread or forum. I won't write the normal platitudes nor rely on banalities like 'rule of thirds' either.



unfocused said:


> I know this is rude, but this forum would be the last place I would go for an honest critique of photos.
> 
> There are some very talented photographers on this forum. But, overall, when people have asked for opinions of their photos, the responses seem to fall into two categories:
> 
> ...


I've critiqued a few people who have asked for it, as most know I am happy to support any opinions I have 

I'd happily support a critiquing thread.


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## Valvebounce (Nov 15, 2020)

Hi Bert.
Best have a look here https://www.canonrumors.com/forum/threads/critics-corner.37677/?view=date#post-797236 for a fairly in depth response to why there is no thread here! 

Cheers, Graham.



Bert63 said:


> You ever edit yourself around in circles?
> 
> You ever like one technique only to find that years later you hate it?
> 
> ...


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## Aussie shooter (Nov 16, 2020)

I think if you posted here and asked for an honest critique it would be worthwhile. You will get a lot of different opinions and you should only ever take them as subjective but it is generally easy to pick out those coming from fools who are only trying to be superior and simply dismiss them.


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## dwarven (Jan 14, 2021)

magarity said:


> Maybe there should be some photo critique categories in the subscribers only section.



This would be a great "pro only" feature of the site. I like it.


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## AlanF (May 26, 2021)

dwarven said:


> This would be a great "pro only" feature of the site. I like it.


I don't like it - advice should be freely available to all on a site like this.


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## dwarven (May 26, 2021)

AlanF said:


> I don't like it - advice should be freely available to all on a site like this.



My reasoning is that pro members may be more dedicated to giving helpful criticism. It's easy to sign up for a site and say whatever you want, which is how most of the internet works. But a paywall acts as a sort of firewall that filters out most of the fly by night posters (and bots). I'm not saying all non-member opinions should be discarded. I'm sure many of them are great. But it would be one more layer of trust you could stamp on a critique. You wouldn't even have to remove the current technique and advice section, just add a new "member critique" section.


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## privatebydesign (May 26, 2021)

Maybe anybody could ask for a critique but only paid members could give them? That way it is open to anybody but there is some kind of accountability to the comments.


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## stevelee (May 28, 2021)

When I was in college, I started taking color slides. When I would get the slides back, a group of friends would look at them with me for the first time. I didn't get a chance to throw anything out first. As you might recall if you are old enough, you don't get to tweak anything in post. It was a great discipline for me, in addition to the limitation of 24 or 36 pictures per roll and my limited finances. At the time I had a Yashica rangefinder camera with a 45mm lens, so zooming was not an option.

None of the friends were photographers. Some were heavily involved in other arts, visual and otherwise, so they brought a range of aesthetic sensibilities. They were my fans, but didn't just say nice things. If anything, they were harder on me because of their high expectations, including that I learn and grow and bring more creativity to my work. Clearly they made me a better photographer.

I was a much more serious photographer in those days. But I hope that my travel photos and my messing around taking pictures otherwise now will continue to reflect that background.

One member of that group died a few weeks ago after a progressive respiratory illness. He continued to be an encouraging critic and fan of my photography he saw posted on the web right up until the end.


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