Critique Forums - Question

[Athas_orm]

Why does a specific question need to be asked? Especially for those of us who are just starting Its really useful to get comments on what can be improved?

Just wondering not complaining.


Wes

[Jim Bryant]

you might find a lot of your answers here on this thread: Everything you ever wanted to know about photography! On DPS!

If not, ask away.

[Athas_orm]

Sorry I don't think I made myself clear in the previous post. What I meant Jim is if I take a photograph I think it would be useful for to get comments like "You should have focused on the eyes" or a tighter crop would be better. Or the composition needs work or you should have shot at a lower ISO and lower F/stop etc.etc. without having to ask specifically on each possible point.

I mean its like if you ask a non writer to critique a book they will say that something is wrong but their not sure what. Same with music. A musician will tell you that theres too many bars repetition or the guitar should be eq'ed down etc.

I'm guessing its the same with photography. I've taken pictures where I don't know what I've done wrong but the subject doesn't look as intresting as it did in real life or for that matter through the viewfinder.

The need to ask a specific question rules out being informed of other stuff. I guess???


Wes

[inkista]

It's mostly so people have a conversational hook to grasp, if they're not as experienced at critiquing. You can ask, "how could I have improved this?", after all, if you don't want to focus on one specific thing. But it's like the difference between given a blank page of paper and told to write, and being given a piece of paper with a question at the top, and told to write.

It's a helluva lot easier to get started with the question.

[BEGM83]

Personally when i post in critique its because i know there is a niggle with a shot that needs recifying - either by reshooting or some photoshop work.

So ask about that niggle. Can it be rectified without reshooting?

Ive asked things like "this photo isnt quite right but i cant put my finger on it" and had some really positive responses that have honed right in on the issue and helped me fix it.

Hth.

[Athas_orm]

Okay thats encouraging to know.

At least when as you say you can't put your finger on it you are allowed share in critique.

Regards,

Wes

[dakwegmo]

I'm not particularly keen on the rule either. Sometimes I want to find out if what I see as a problem is something others see, or if I'm just picking nits so to speak. The problem with the specific question rule, and seeking this kind of feedback is that by asking the question I'm automatically drawing people's attention to an area that they might not otherwise notice. On the other end of the spectrum, when I do have a specific question, there may be other problems with the image that are overlooked or not addressed, simply because the reviewer was focused on the issue I had asked about without considering other strengths and weaknesses of the image. That said, I find I get much more out of giving rather than getting critiques here, since any critique I get in that section will be skewed in the direction of the question I ask. If you're just starting out it can be useful, but not as useful as it could be if you could just present an image and get unbiased feedback.

[LeeR]

I'm with you, Athas, I don't believe you need to ask a question if you are posting in the critique section. That is the purpose of the section. One of the best ways to grow as a photographer is to hear from those who have gone before you and can tell you what you need to do to grow. As much as we may like getting praised for our work, we actually benefit more from constructive criticism.

[wulf]

I think the "specific question" request is, ironically, a touch vague. However, the intention is to demonstrate that you are actually thinking about your photo before you expect others to take time to think about it for you. You may not be able to imagine it but some people seemed to be posting images for critique just in the hope that people would say "nice shot" or to get someone else to do their homework for them!

Sometimes you will have a particular question, like "do you think the way the subject is blurred captures the motion or does it just look a mess?". Other times you might, for example, give a bit of context instead, such as "this is a tree that grows near where I live and I take pictures of it almost every week" or even combine the two: "I took this photo on a once in a lifetime trip to such and such a city. I think this was the best of the set but can't go back and reshoot. What can I learn from this shot to take with me next time I go to a city with beautiful old buildings?".

Wulf

[Rolling Stone]

+1
This is a learning site. I think if you post a photo, it's because it doesn't meet your expectations. Why? What is it? Then it's easier for others to help. People are great at helping here if you let them know what's on your mind.