Have you shot any street photography? We invite you to join the next episode of Critique the Community and submit two of your best street photography shots for feedback and the chance to win one of two Fstoppers tutorials.Although Lee and Patrick don't have much experience with street photography, they do have an eye for quality photos. If you'd like to receive the feedback of Lee and Patrick and your peers here in the Fstoppers community, simply upload up to two of your best street photos before December 18th, 2018 at 11:45 PM EST. We will select a total of 20 images to provide feedback to. The image with the highest average community rating will receive a free tutorial as will a randomly selected entrant.
Once you've uploaded your images, we invite you scroll through the photos submitted by other members and give them ratings and helpful feedback. The easiest way to do this is by using the arrow pad and number keys on your keyboard. Please keep comments helpful and encouraging.
The best technique I’ve come across for critiquing is from the essential book “Art and Fear.” Ask yourself two questions, “what is the artist trying to say/achieve?” “Were they successful?” In school we weren’t allowed to use the work “like” in critiques.
I think this is good advice for the most part but it does rely a lot on the viewer’s ability to pick up on subtle message or abstract images. Sometimes people aren’t able to pick up on those, but it shouldn’t devalue the image. So I think this is one way of critiquing art, but I feel like this way of thinking fits more for art majors.
For example, I believe Salvador Dali’s “The Persistence of Memory” to be a beautiful painting with some interesting imagery. However, I haven’t got a clue what he’s trying to “say” or “achieve”. Does that mean he wasn’t unsuccessful?
I think the first question the viewer has to ask is “who is this work intended for?”
The questions are more for the viewer than the artist/photographer. They help the viewer get past the gut reaction of like/dislike and into a more empathetic headspace. We may not know exactly what an artist is trying to say or achieve, but at least now we are thinking about it, which enriches our experience of the work. We still may not like it, but now our 1 star review comes from a more thoughtful place.
This morning I took a look at the book to make sure my paraphrasing was correct and discovered there was a third question that I forgot about, "was it worth doing?"
Well, I don't disagree, but I guess this comes from the standpoint that I don't take negative remarks negatively. I see if it is a critique of my work based on a serious opinion, or if it's just something they don't like. Like maybe it's composition, and I think it works but they don't. Or they say I should've focused on a different spot. I agree with Styron, there's no reason to not give an opinion, because maybe it'll help people see through your eyes and get that extra viewpoint for their next shoot.
The perception of street photography images are very subjective, and thus is the rating. This also has to do with a certain over-saturation of themes. The tendency to repeat certain "stereotypes" of street photography. An image of a beggar, the day-to-day struggle on the streets of asia, the insignificance of a human-being lost in the valleys of metropolis -- it´s been covered a multitude of times. And still the viewer may be captured -- but for this the image has to have a certain something, expression, a rare glimpse, a fleeing moment, an intruiging story. Secondly, even the "masters" of street photographers mentioned in many comments did some work on them later in the darkroom: especially proper cropping. I believe many images rated here as snapshots are lacking this basic post-production. Yet I do agree that the rating system could be approved, maybe by listing the names of those who voted (as is done in Fotocomunnity), or by having to leave a comment in order to be able to vote.
https://fstoppers.com/photo/319581
https://fstoppers.com/photo/319581
I wish someone would give advice on a picture in stead of just giving it a crap rating and flipping to the next.
These contests have never been a good way to get actual community feedback. Unfortunately the way it's set up indirectly encourages people to rate low and a number of people choose to do that rather than giving honest feedback in hopes of getting the prize which the contenders and voters are technically competing for. If you're looking for meaningful feedback, the "groups" tab is your best bet. There are no ratings there, and people seem genuinely interested in helping each other out, unlike in the contests and community tabs.
I will repeat my post from above... The problem with giving feedback, is that you need to know how to give it, for it to be productive. Is something you learn, I can give you my honest opinion on your pictures, but what relevance it has? How do you know if indeed is worth it taking my criciticsm seriously? Just by looking at the material I have? Perhaps my work is excellent but i dont know how to provide feedback on someones work or the other way around. To get good feedback you need to get it from a photoschool, or from someone who knows how to give it....and quite sure you wont found that here from us. So dont expect someone here to tell you what you need to improve, look at it as something fun :)
Lot's of the entries are "Snapshots" BUT that's what Street Photography essentially is. That's the charm of the style. It's then the photographers job to put their own flavour into it; whether that be little bits of humour or perhaps a striking composition with the use of 'The decisive moment' like in HCB iconic image. It can change but it is supposed to be short and snappy clever or engaging images. People just walking down any street without a context, or photographs of buskers / homeless people don't really cut it. I recommend everyone have a quick google of he book "Street Photography now" to get a better idea.
I think looking at this broad and interesting discussion going on that Patrick and Lee will have to have an extended sum-up of the contest :-) We need a street-photography symposium! :-))
814 entries. Good luck to everyone. Thank you to everyone who put yourself out there to be reviewed. It is a good community effort when we all try.
When are the result ?
When is the contest over?
Next contest could be panoramas
Is this contest ever closing?