Criticism can sting, especially when you’re proud of a photo and someone shoots it down without a second thought. But in a world full of self-proclaimed experts, knowing how to filter out harmful comments and stay true to your own vision is key. Harsh feedback often comes from a place of insecurity or a narrow mindset, not from a desire to help you grow.
Coming to you from Alex Kilbee with The Photographic Eye, this thought-provoking video addresses how to handle the toxic comments and gatekeepers you encounter in your photography journey. Kilbee shares his experience of dealing with critics who believe there is a “right” and “wrong” way to create images. He explains that these types of comments often come from people who want to impose their own standards and feel validated by keeping others confined to a narrow set of rules. The advice here? Focus on creating work that satisfies you, not the critics.
Kilbee also highlights the importance of finding a supportive community. His own experience of joining a forum full of rigid ideas made him second-guess his style and change elements that felt natural to him. It wasn’t until he realized that he was altering his work to please others that he started to reclaim his creative freedom. Seeking out communities that encourage exploration and experimentation can foster growth, while avoiding ones that suppress your instincts will keep your creativity alive. You should look for people who inspire and uplift rather than those who are quick to judge.
Another key takeaway is how to identify noise for what it is: empty, unproductive comments. When someone critiques your work, ask yourself if they’re trying to help or just tearing you down. Kilbee emphasizes that most of the negative feedback you encounter is just that—noise. It’s not constructive and shouldn’t hold you back from taking risks. Once you start recognizing these comments for what they are, it becomes easier to ignore them and keep experimenting with your work. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Kilbee.
One of my biggest pet peeves is unsolicited feedback. More people need to learn how to just scroll on. If I didn't specifically ask for feedback what makes you think I want your thoughts on why you don't like it? Reddit is the worst for this.
Another thing I've noticed is how many conflicting opinions I get when I do ask for feedback. I've been doing architectural photography full time for about a year now. I know I have a lot to learn still. I recently posted a photo I like in Mike Kelley's facebook group. Mike actually commented on my post saying he loved the way the house looked but to darken the foreground. I thought it was awesome to get some helpful advice from the man himself. Then another comment saying how the house was way too flat and was this and that. And all I could think to myself was if Mike thought it looks good, then it's fine.
Often negative feedback is a way to realise for yourself, that you are successful. I remember that a photograph I did that vent viral, got also lots of negative comments.
One guy even wrote me a very long email, where he just humiliated me and my work. I still have this email and enjoy to read it from time to time. Just imagine, how important it must have been for him to write me that email. His life must be very exhausting when he put so much efforts in an email that is about a photograph he does not like.
There are lots of photographs I don't like, but I can appreciate the effort the photographer put into it.
I never understood why I would write something bad about another artists work. If they like it, thats wonderful. If I don't like it, that has nothing to do with them or their work. So why waste energy in a comment.
Often seeing a photo I don’t like doesn’t mean the photo is a bad photo, just not to my taste. People who are very critical usually is just a reflection on them rather than the photographs they are criticising.
exactly. It often happens that I don't like some of my old photos anymore.
Excellent video. Everyone has an opinion, and the large majority of people want to express it and have you agree with them, or at least appreciate their perspective. Humans desire to connect in one way or another. Hence... social media, Fstoppers, etc. It also seems understandable that people express their opinions in different ways. Nearly everyone views the world (including photographs) through the lens of their own eye. It's less often that anyone tries to understand someone else through the other person's eyes. However, exercising a little empathy might lead to a more civilized discussion. And beneficial for everyone.
To the point that some people are annoyed by unsolicited feedback, I'm guessing that it's more the negative criticism than the praise which one might find offensive. Fstoppers seems to be characterized by an active comments section. Comments here are frequently more in-depth and meaningful than the quick sentence or so found on the same video's YouTube channel. Some are kind of snarky but that comes with the territory. I recall some people saying that they bypass videos and just read the comments. That doesn't surprise me as many of the videos are long and rambling, while everyone seems to enjoy a good debate and different opinion. We can't walk around on eggshells though, afraid to make an unsolicited comment, and still have a robust comments and discussion section. As Alex says, learn what you can; disregard the rest.
By the way, one of the most critical comments I ever received about my photography shaped my photography for years to come, but not in the manner that the person making the comment intended. It was a comment made by a camera club competition judge with regard to my still-life picture of strawberries. He raised the question of why I would bother wasting my time shooting such a mundane subject. I worked hard on that picture. I could feel my blood pressure rising 40 points. I could imagine Edward Weston rolling over in his grave. How could anyone make such a stupid comment, especially someone tasked with judging a photo competition? Anyway, I decided that while there might be such a thing as a boring photo, there is no such thing as a boring subject. So I vowed to try and make more interesting pictures, but they're frequently made of mundane subjects.