Many of us struggle with providing photograph critiques. What do we say? What do we focus on? What is the proper way to give a critique? While I freely admit I’m not the expert at giving critiques, I’ve come up with some steps to help me when I do give them by researching various online guides and rewording them into layman terms.

Critiques can be a useful improvement tool for both the person getting it and the person giving it, if done properly.

Step 1: Technical Quality.

Exposure: Is it over exposed or under exposed? A properly exposed photo will have some details in the shadow. Are details missing because of the improper exposure? What do you think caused this? How could the photographer prevent this from happening in the future?

Depth of Field (DOF): Is it shallow or deep? Does it work for this photo? Does it add to the overall affect of the photo or detracts from it?

Lighting/White Balance: Is it too soft? Too harsh? Does the type of lighting add to or takes away from the overall quality of the photo? Is the white balance appropriate for the photo? Does it look too yellowish, greenish, orangish? All signs of an improperly set white balance.

Focus: Is the main subject in or out of focus? Has the picture lost the intended focal point? Is there a clear focal point? Is it appropriate for the photo? Should the focal point have been somewhere else to make the photo more interesting?

Step 2: Composition

Background Position: Does it contain a fore, middle, and background? Is this properly framed, focused? Is it taking away from the intended subject? Is there too much distracting clutter?

Rule of Thirds or Centered: Where is the main subject? Is it centered, in the corner, somewhere else? Does this add to the photo or detracts from it? Where would you have centered it?

Colors/Tonal Range: Are the colors too vivid, harsh, muted? What are the primary, secondary colors? Do they add or take away from the overall photo? If it’s a black and white photo, is it a true representation or is the photo too gray?

Cropping/Framing: Is there wasted space in the photo that should have been cropped out? Is it cropped correctly? Too tight of a cropped where parts have been cut off that should be included (example: An animal that has it’s foot cut out of the photo, a flower that has the petals cut off and isn’t cropped properly).

Lines: Did the photographer make good use of any leading lines to create geometric interest in the photo? Should they have? Do the lines draw your eyes into the photo and to the subject or do they take your eyes away from it? Were they used properly?

Others: Are there too many dark areas? Too many light? Is the photo balanced (are color, light, and subjects arranged properly), if there is a reason that it feels off balanced, explain why.

Step 3: Emotional Appeal

Do you like the photo? What do you like about it? What don’t you like? What would you do differently if you had the chance to take the same photo?

Do you feel that the photographer conveyed the story they were going for with this photo? Why? Why not? Be specific.

How does the photo make you feel? Did the photographer convey a mood or emotion with the photo? Describe what about the photo gave you this feeling or if the photographer should have done something differently.

Some helpful links (and where I got some of my information):

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