Remember Critiques?

[Tom Collins]

Remember critiques from photo school?

I teach a job preparatory class in Commercial Photography at a publicly run tech school. I have questions about critique and I hope that my questions provide good conversation.

Some of my students (adults) do not respond appropriately to critique. In fact, one of my students recently quit after receiving a critique that he disagreed with. I know, critiques in the wrong hands can be a weapon. This is not what I am talking about. I am talking about thoughtful, criticism.

I guess my first question is whether you all think that critique is a relevant exercise in a formal educational environment?

Secondly, how do you all suggest that I respond when a student responds inappropriately to formal critique?

The specific incident that I am thinking of is over a picture of a squirrel posed on the side of a tree. Not a bad pic but nothing distinguishing about it. Additionally, the program that I teach does not cover wildlife or landscapes.

So what do you think? Should I can future critiques?

[MikeA]

Keep them.

Also keep in mind that your students have feelings and may not view critiques in the way that you intend. They will also generally be receiving the critique in the company of their peers. This doesn't mean you should hold back any criticism but you should be measured and even in it's delivery.

To this end it is very important that you first find something, anything to praise in the work, to remind the student that the work and the effort taken to make the photo is valued. Then and only then, move into the criticism, and make very sure it is impersonal.

Not easy to do, but on the other hand, one good, honest critique from an experienced photographer is worth a thousand 'nice photo' comments from friends.

Mike.

[DierkHaasis]

Make clear, very clear, that criticism is necessary to learn. Especially with communication - and photography, painting, literature et al. belong into this category - we as the makers need to know what others see when presented with our works. We may not share the sentiments but we need to know them to refine our technique, but even more to find our own stance.

In the beginning I hated negative feedback since I thought people didn't 'get it', just wanted to bring me down. Today it's the other way round, I have become my harshest critic. The criticism by others was needed to sharpen my inner eye to what I really want to convey.

That is another point of a critique, finding out how to use technical skills to best effect, that is making technique second to message. What do you wnat to show, how do you best do it.

[Jerry Skrocki]

Teaching the students about the critique process and allowing them to become a part of the process would help with boosting morale.

Allow the students to critique each other's work and moderate the session.
Use a formal process, such as a numeric rating scale based on composition, subject and creativity. Insist on an accompanying verbal explanation of each critique to justify the score.

This should give them a skill set and respect for the process that they can use throughout their careers.

Jerry

[Noel_Carboni]

Critique is a good thing, and can be a powerful influence in peoples' work.

Keep in mind your students are looking for your approval. They desperately want to have created an image you like. The shots they show you may well be the best work they've ever done.

Presenting good critique can be a fine art in itself; take the time to do it well.

I prefer the "Oreo Cookie" approach: Say something good, drop in the "it could be better if..." stuff in the middle (the really helpful stuff), and finally point out the good qualities (so they feel good about the critique session). End on a positive note.

For example:

Very nice nature image. Your squirrel looks positively interested in you - were you carrying food? Squirrels always make good still photo subjects because they tend to pose well.

There are some things you could do to make the image more powerful... Crop it such that the squirrel's left eye is at the upper-left rule of thirds position, but don't crop too tightly because it's good to have head-room. The color balance is good, but the image might possibly benefit from some additional saturation; try it. If you get a chance to get back out there and shoot some more of our little friend, try to keep in mind not only the subject, but also move yourself around a little to adjust the placement of the background bokeh for maximum impact - for example you could imagine that light spot off to the right in your image being directly behind the squirrel's head. Try to always keep the background in mind.

Your image processing is good in this. The exposure is just right, there's no distracting noise, and the sharpness is right on. Also, I do like your frame; it adds to the presentation. Given this effort I expect more good things from you.

I encourage you and everyone to practice your Oreo Cookie critique in our very own critique section!!

Oreos with "double stuff" are especially appreciated!

-Noel

[Tom Collins]

Thank you, everyone, for your thoughtful replies. I think all of the replies are outstanding. I too believe that critique is vital to education in the visual arts. I try to give thoughtful insight without attacking the creator. I like the "Oreo" approach and will adapt it for use in the future.

Because I teach at a public institution that also teaches courses like Auto Mechanics, Welding, and Culinary Arts, it can be a big deal if a student complains that they were mistreated. My administrators know nothing about critiques and I could possibly be put in a position to defend them later. I would think that if my school was an institution like AI a teacher could count on administration to be supportive. This is not a given in my case.

Thank you again for your thoughtful responses.

TC