Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2003/01/09

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Constructive Criticism
From: Johnny Deadman <lists@johnbrownlow.com>
Date: Thu, 9 Jan 2003 11:18:44 -0500

On Wednesday, January 8, 2003, at 06:46 PM, ((SonC)) Sonny Carter wrote:

> I think most on this list (those who post pictures at least,) can take 
> crits
> of their work.  The problem is that some of what passes for criticism 
> here
> is, "too bad you weren't shooting that picture from one step forward,"
> (which might have been one step over a cliff.)  Or, "I don't like 
> color,
> that sunset would have looked Great in Scala!"  or "That would be a 
> good
> picture, if the kid was not smiling."  or, "I would like the picture of
> Natchitoches if you took the all old buildings out of it."

The first three of those at least are (potentially) perfectly valid 
criticism.

1. If a picture is compositionally weak it is compositionally weak, 
never mind the excuses. It's no use saying "I couldn't move the tree". 
If you can't move the tree, move on and find another picture. Or if you 
take it, don't expect high praise. Have you ever seen a photo book with 
notes by the photographer about why the pictures aren't better? "Oh, 
this would have been a fantastic picture but the light went".

2.	Some sunsets do look better in mono. In any case it's only a 
suggestion and thanks to Photoshop it's easy to find out.

3.	If a picture is ruined by a stilted cheesy grin, that would be true.

Most people who have a problem with criticism do so because they assume 
that any criticism of a picture is a criticism of them personally. "My 
picture right or wrong".

- --
John Brownlow

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Replies: Reply from S Dimitrov <sld@earthlink.net> (Re: [Leica] Constructive Criticism)
Reply from "SonC \(Sonny Carter\)" <sonc@sonc.com> (Re: [Leica] Constructive Criticism)