Yes, I learned a lot from my father's camera club. Then over time they got into really petty squabbles and I stopped attending.
There is a kind of second-half to the question of critiques, which is: Do you have, or have you had, a mentor in photography or art?
I think a mentor is absolutely essential , and to answer your original question , constructive critiques are a valuable exercise... but I think nothing is as important as actually hanging ones work and seeing how a largeThere is a kind of second-half to the question of critiques, which is: Do you have, or have you had, a mentor in photography or art?
I agree.The problem with expecting objective feedback on a public forum, is no one can agree what a good photograph is.
I agree. As someone who sells my work, the reaction of the public is important. The idea that non-photographers are unqualified to form an opinion on our work is foolish. When I'm in my booth, non-photographers will talk about color and composition. Photographers will talk about f-stops and equipment. I'll take the general public any day.... but I think nothing is as important as actually hanging ones work and seeing how a large cross-section of people evaluate it.
The most useful thing anyone can learn is how to curate their work, but that has nothing to do with technique. I have a high tolerance of flare, fogging, colour imbalance, unusual flatness or contrast, lack of focus and shortcomings a typical camera club judge would have his red pen all over, but have no tolerance to visual cliché of any kind. Someone expecting another nodding dog to appraise their work would hate me, on the other hand a photographer who was trying to push him/herself would find an advocate even if the work didn't always come off. My biases are against more work to add to the mountain of identikit stuff already out there. Most critics want to confirm the value of existing memes.If I may... often it seems the only way to get consistent critique is to only ask a single critic. That applies to all things being critiqued including topics where there are well-established standards.
And from another angle, publican opinion can be downright dangerous to a photographer who is out on some narrow limb, let's say. A crushing public opinion could easily sew doubt where none is really due.
A mature body of work , as Sasha Wolf would say is what I strive for.Body of Work
This is another important consideration in good critique. A single photo is a bit like examining a single sentence from a novel. A strong critique gets stronger when a body of work is evaluated. From this a progression can be seen. From this a style can emerge. And from this a bigger message or theme can be seen.
I agree. As someone who sells my work, the reaction of the public is important. The idea that non-photographers are unqualified to form an opinion on our work is foolish. When I'm in my booth, non-photographers will talk about color and composition. Photographers will talk about f-stops and equipment. I'll take the general public any day.
Thick skin is important, as many will try to knock you down, for reasons unknown it seems to be our nature.If the photographers believe in the work they're doing, a few negative opinions shouldn't sway them. I've been getting a lot of jury rejections of my cliché verres. It also doesn't sell as well as my more traditional hand-painted work. Still, the work is something I believe in, so I move forward. If art is something to which your work aspires, you need patience and a thick skin.
Body of Work
A strong critique gets stronger when a body of work is evaluated.
I would contend that this is the only real application of critique beyond technical and compositional assessment.Body of Work
This is another important consideration in good critique. A single photo is a bit like examining a single sentence from a novel. A strong critique gets stronger when a body of work is evaluated. From this a progression can be seen. From this a style can emerge. And from this a bigger message or theme can be seen.
Understatement!Thick skin is important, as many will try to knock you down, for reasons unknown it seems to be our nature.
They're meaningful if you want your work to be selected. Jurying is necessary to ensure that the exhibit is of high quality. In fact, if I see a call for entries listing the juror(s), I'll search out the juror(s) work, which will give me an idea of the kind of images they like.... the "judged" results are not meaningful beyond the judge.
True of course.Someone is always judging. Be it the gallery owner deciding whether to represent a photographer or give the photographer a show, or the public viewing the show, or the curator of a group show, or the mentor, or the photographer himself.
I only see ribbons and awards at camera clubs or the state fair, places that reward the happy accident rather than the body of work.True of course. In my previous mentions, I was using "judging" in the sense of handing out ribbons and awards to winners. And of course I only meant "my opinion."
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