People ask me all the time what they should get so they can take 'good pictures.' While there is some difference between equipment, there is an even bigger difference in the photographer's eyes. A skilled photographer trains to develop their eye, learning to see the world through a lens and putting a unique perspective on an ordinary piece of life.
Key Factors in Critique
Note: It is not enough to say that something is "good" or "bad," you must explain what you think is strong or weak. Pinpoint elements that work really well within a photograph, and then you may list elements that are distracting to your eye. Describe possible solutions for how the photographer could avoid such errors in the future. The Point: The goal of critique is to improve the work. If we only hear that things are "good" or "bad" then we never move forward creatively but rather just get hurt in the process. Guidelines for Describing Photographs
Note: Descriptions are fact, which is different from interpretation or opinion. Dialogue for Describing Subject Matter "To describe a photograph or an exhibition is to notice things about it and to tell another, out loud or in print, what one notices. [...] To describe is to criticize." "Describing [art] is a logical place to start when viewing an exhibition or a popular photograph because it is a means of gathering basic information on which understanding is built. Psychologically, however, we often want to judge first, and our first statements often express approval or disapproval." "Subject matter is different from subject. Subject, however, is synonymous with theme or meaning and is more of an interpretive than descriptive endeavor." How would you describe the subject matter of these images? Be politically correct and appropriate in your responses. Example description of the middle photograph, above: Physical: asexual, old person, black person, cold temperatures Emotional: frustration, fragility, anger, confusion, isolation Dialogue for Discribing the Composition "Form refers to how the subject matter is presented [...] the shape of the content. Descriptive statements about a photograph's form concern how it is composed, arranged, and constructed visually." Examples of how to describe form:
Describing the Technical Elements "The term medium refers to [...] the kind and size of film that was used, the size of the print, whatever it is black and white or in color, characteristics of the camera that was used, and other technical information about how the picture was made, including how the photographer photographs." Digital Shift (Optional) Many people think that photography is much simpler now that film stocks are no longer a factor. But, that's not true. Digital photography poses new challenges including sensor types, sensor sizes, ISO ranges and caps, file formats, and compression rates. Simply put, there is no single "way" to take a picture. Ultimately, these three formats (below) are the formats photographers tend to use daily. RAW, TIFF, and JPEG. This chart gives a quick explanation for why you would use one format over the others.
Critiquing a Photographer's Style (Optional) "Style indicates a resemblance among diverse art objectives from an artist, movement, time period, or geographic location and is recognized by a characteristic handling of subject matter ..." Examples of photography styles include, "snapshot aesthetic," and "directorial photography;" When determining someone's style, consider:
More style descriptors
Confrontational Direct Frontal Single-Subject Centered Staring Directly Out at the Viewer Condescending of Subjects Bringing the "Mighty" Down to Normal Size Invasion of Privacy
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