Who has the better opinion - Photographer or non-photographer?

[beth0b]

Just a few thoughts I had and was curious about what everyone else had to say..

As I read through these forums I have learned so much from everyone, professionals and amateurs, hobbyists, etc. and I especially like to browse through the critique forums since I feel I learn so much from hearing input people have. It got me thinking though..

Is the input that fellow photographers (professionals or casual) have more credible than a non-photographers input? I do know photography is an art form, and art is subjective, but an experienced or practicing photographer will seem to have more valuable critiques and comments than someone who doesn't take pictures. I'm sure all of you have noticed this.. you take some pictures and your family/friends (non-photographers) think they are wonderful, but you post some on here and can have us fellow photographers point out things to do differently and to help you next time. Professionals can give better technical advice, knowing cameras and setting themselves whereas a non-photographer might be able to just say "it's too dark." But are photographers just jaded? We see our own work, we study other photographers work, we immerse ourselves in learning of technique and composition and everything else.. How critical can you be outside of giving technical advice? Isn't it all subjective? Do non-photographers have better input because they do not look at the technical side of it and just see the picture for what it is?

Basically.. Aside from wanting feedback or help.. (as I believe a fellow photographer could help you more), who has the better opinion about "how good is this photograph?" A fellow photographer (at any level) or a non-photographer?

[Bluenoser]

Why does one have to be better than the other?

Why can't both offer something good and constructive on equal terms?


Food for thought....

[RexK_Cozumel]

It depends. Certainly some photographers are all about the technical issues of photography. I think that this is more true with hobby photographers or people that are just starting out because they are learning that stuff themselves so they focus on it more. I think as people become more advanced they focus less on the technical aspects and more on the art/composition etc.

[OeterB]

It depends on a lot of things, I think.

One photo I took, I thought it was great, family thought it was great, friends thought it was great... I showed it to a professional photographer who used to shoot for Rolling Stone... and he told me the composition was all wrong, that the people were looking out of the photo, instead of in. Bang, totally right, couldn't fault the critique.

Sometimes, it can be something as simple as that which everyone overlooks, sometimes a photographer can give a more technical critique --- "This should've been taken 1 stop faster" or whatever.

On the other hand --- and I know this applies to my writing and imagine it does as much with my photography --- sometimes the 'layman' is required. While my supervisors at uni can look at my novel and go "Yeah, sentence is lacking this, dangling modifier here, wrong tense, wrong verb", an honest friend can look at work and go "Yeah, this scene is working, but this part here isn't, that character is not real, and that chapter is trash", or, in my case, "This is a realistic portrayal of what I see in pubs every night, but that wouldn't happen, so change it. And give me hair."

Oddly, I've had a similar critique given by a layman with regards to photography... "Make me thinner, lose the wrinkles, make my teeth whiter."

[Chip]

Most times, when I get feedback from someone who's not a "photographer," the feedback is something along the lines of "that's great," "I really like that one," "I don't care for that," "that's weird," etc. And when I ask the "why do you have that reaction" question, most of the time they can't put into words why they had that reaction.

Which to me is frustrating, but fine. At least I received feedback. Even general feedback, or feedback by way of no reaction at all to a photo, is helpful.

A "photographer's" feedback is more likely to be "nice DOF," "try cropping it this way," etc. It's a different, more specific/technical type of feedback - but I'm not sure it's any "better" than the general feedback I get from most people.

My 2 cents.

[teedlepeep]

Opinions are just that, a persons own view of the situation. Personally I can't stand the work of Picasso. I have looked at it many times and thought that a child could do much better. Doesn't mean I am right or wrong, it's just my opinion.

I take what I can use from others. Unless you are selling your services to another for a shot to look a certain way, I feel that the best we can do is to make something look the way we want it to.

Again, this is all my opinion so it may be right or it may be wrong ... depends on your opinion

[SusanH1970]

Again, it's a matter of perspective, and it's such a subjective thing. I've had photos that non-photographers didn't like, yet professionals thought they were great, and vice-versa. Like it's already been said here, you'll get different opinions from all walks of life. I just take it all in - and in the end, no matter what anyone else says, if I like it, I like it.

I'll do you one better.

Who's opinion is better, the photographer, the non-photog or you?

*I have a feeling I just blew some minds*

*Floats away in a mystic cloud of mystery surrounded enigmatic question marks*

[OsmosisStudios]

I always ask photographers and non-photographers, and some in between. That way Im sure to get a fairly balanced view.

[sk66]

I think a photographer's opinion is "better" for technical details and a non-photographer's opinion is probably better for "does it work".... but those opinions will vary widely.