Ben is presenting an online image critique workshop on November 12:
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.
Before the workshop, attendees will submit three photos of their choice for critique. During the session, Ben will work his way through each student’s images, discussing what works and what doesn’t, and why, with the group participating in the discussion. From Ben:
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.