Perhaps you’ve experienced this: you get up the nerve to show some of your images to someone else, but the images you think are great get a tepid response while images you almost didn’t include get lots of praise. In addition to being confusing, such responses can be demoralizing because they make you question your ability to recognize a good photo. The only way to learn what types of images resonate with people is through the process of critique – you have to show your images to someone who can speak clearly about what works and what doesn’t, and you need a variety of opinions. For that reason we are offerring this online group photo critique session. Thanks to internet-based conferencing technology it’s possible for us to create a very effective virtual classroom for hosting group photo critique sessions.

Here’s how it works. Each attendee will submit 3 images before the workshop begins. On January 21 at 3pm PT/ 6pm ET you’ll connect your computer to the conference using free WebEx software, and dial into the conference using your phone. We’ll all be able to hear each other, and on-screen we’ll all be able to see the images that are being critiqued. We’ll work our way through each student’s images, discussing what works and what doesn’t, and why.

If that sounds terrifying, don’t worry, we’re not going to demolish your confidence. Rather, we’re going to help you understand why the viewer’s experience of an image might be different from what you intended. What’s more, we’re going to give you a vocabulary for dissecting and understanding an image. This vocabulary will help you better critique your own images and even help change the way you shoot. If you’ve ever looked at an image and thought “this doesn’t work, but I don’t know why” then it’s safe to say that you lack a useful vocabulary for critiquing images. You can’t solve a problem if you can’t identify it – our critique process will give you the words to identify problems. 

Finally, photo appreciation is subjective, so the more viewpoints you can have, the more you will learn. Hence the group critique. Even seemingly simple observations from other students can provide a wealth of insight into how people see and respond to your photos.

Ben Long has extensive experience with classroom critiques. Critique is a standard part of his teaching process, so for those of you who can’t get to one of his live workshops this is a way to engage in the critique process.

Space is limited to 12 students, so sign up soon!