How to deal with Harsh Photo criticism and avoid it in the future
Have you ever been on the receiving end of harsh critique for one of your images? I think we all have. But before you start laying all your hopes on other photographers to come to your rescue or even worse, get so disheartened that you give up photography altogether, count to 10 (or 524 in needed), breathe deep and analyse the situation.
You need to consider a few things before you go off the rails:
did you ask for feedback? Or was the comment given without you asking for it.
what purpose does the platform serve where you posted your image? Is it more for growth (meaning that you post images to document your progress) or is it a showcase of pictures of a particular thing (such as landscape photography) where a higher standard of photography is expected?
how was the feedback given? Was it just plain nasty or well-meaning? Did it help you in any way? Did you find it confusing and felt lacking for not being able to understand what they meant.
or was the comment just plain nasty? Having someone say something nasty about one of your images can make you feel ashamed and stupid - like you’ve done something wrong by making the person endure the sight of it.
Acknowledge what was really going on. Why didn't the comment feel right to you?
Different kinds of people give different types of feedback. Everyone has their own set of values and priorities. They don’t have to coincide with yours in any way.
Most people who leave a comment are trying to help in the only way they know how to. Oftentimes this isn't that helpful at all.
Remember, you weren’t born to be everything to everyone. You should aim to find like-minded fellow photographers who appreciate you as a human being.
Here are some of my thoughts.
You may find me slightly harsh at times, but I want you to know that I’m unmistakably on your side ;)
Those who want things their way
These are people who believe their way is the only way. You can recognise this with comments like, “if this were my image …..”, “this image could be so much better if you ….” etc. There tolerance rate for images that don’t look like they took them is sometimes incredibly low. This type of feedback is the most common. I find it incredibly misleading and will end up in you trying to take photos in their style.
It's worth taking a look at their profiles. If you find their style similar to what you're aiming for yourself, then you might want to make them your mentor ;)
Those that live by the rules
There are rules, and there are rules. The rules you need to abide by are the ones that will ruin the quality of the image if you don’t. There are specific rules you don’t have to keep, though, and by breaking them, you can create interest elements. If someone starts getting picky about you not applying the rule of thirds etc, then run a mile once you’ve stopped yawning, that is. It's entirely up to you to make your own set of rules for your kind of photography.
The tech-nerds
I don’t know whether it’s just my experience, but I’ve never come across anyone obsessed with the tech who takes outstanding photographs. Don’t get me wrong; I’m sure thousands of photographers are absolute tech whizzes and take fantastic images. However, to them, the tech side of things is only one minor aspect of a much larger picture. If you’re getting techy advise that you don’t understand, then the person isn’t a well-meaner but someone who just wants to tell you everything they know.
Those who only see fault and not love
We’ve all met this kind of human being. They go through life looking for faults. They’re also not able to hold a conversation without continuously mentioning how much they’ve accomplished. Where does this come from? From low self-esteem and from not being able to live up to their own expectations.
If there’s a lot of good to be said about the image, it also needs to be mentioned. If this isn’t, then you know who you’re dealing with.
Those who focus on the wrong thing
I once posted an image that I loved. It was me holding a coffee cup, and someone criticised that my nails weren’t well-manicured. The truth is, I love manicured nails too, but my nails just weren’t that bad, and they weren’t the central theme of the image. The woman who criticised the photo was probably someone who isn’t at all interested in coffee cups but obsessed with french polish.
Those who are just plain wicked
I could give you no end of examples of nastiness. The unkind words aren’t directed at the photo; they’re directed at YOU. Your image riled them in some way. It was either getting too much positive attention or making them feel like you were getting away with something they thought you didn’t deserve (or haven’t earned). They’re trying to make you feel bad, making them feel better about themselves - this is only short-lived. Take a step back and think about how hopeless someone’s life must be that they feel the need to rob someone else of their self-esteem.
Remember, the comment was about them and not about you. Shake your head. Forgive them. Wish them well (inwardly). Delete the comment (as opposed to waiting for someone to come to your rescue). Smile. And move on.
Those who mean well = creative encouragement that helps
Someone who means well will begin by telling you what they like about the image and why they feel it’s unique. You will instinctively know that they’ve given their message a lot of thought. They will point things out which you may have over-looked and also tell you what to avoid in the future.
How to avoid your images being critiqued in the future
Take a step back and ask yourself how much YOU love the image you’re about to post. Is it really, without compromise, your best work?
I’m honestly not a rule-abider. However, several things may cause distraction and ruin the image. These are things you can watch out for when taking a photograph or, in some cases, remedy in the post-editing process.
crooked horizons
distorted building/trees (or anything tall where you had to tilt the camera to fit it into the frame)
drastic over/under exposure (blown out areas/pixelated dark areas - these are respectively areas without image data information)
out of focus
focus is on the wrong thing
over-edited
distracting objects in the image
when one (or more of the people in a family group have their eyes half shut/grimacing/are in mid-conversation/looking away
cutting off fingertips, elbows or any body parts in an off way (to avoid this have a look at how other people crop their images.
Signals that you aren’t all that thrilled with the image yourself
when you start making excuses because the image is so bad
when you have to write a caption to explain the meaning behind the image
when it only starts to look good when you give it a black & white edit (or any kind of modification that brings it to life). Ps: this is ok if the image is genuinely stunning after the edit.
Ask yourself if you are 100% confident that you’re putting your best work out there. I know it’s tempting to take a quick photo just for the sake of joining in, but hand on heart, wouldn’t you be amazed if everyone started going mad about it? Or if it got hundreds of likes. Wouldn’t this mislead you into thinking that you never have to try your best?
I would never advise you to post images that you aren’t confident about.
Delete?
If you feel a comment is unjust, then just delete it. Some would argue that you shouldn’t do this and that it’s more mature to leave the comment open for discussion. Well, they would, because it isn’t their image that is being torn apart and you may not want to spend all day reasoning with people who you hardly know anyway.
If you’re a sensitive soul, then delete it. If you like a good argument and feel confident that you’ll be able to stand your ground, then go for it, girl!
Always be sure that YOU love the image you’re putting out there. If you know that the image is absolute without flaw and that you love it, then share it with the world.
If the image touches your soul, it will touch other people’s too.
With all that in place, you can now put any of your images out there with confidence. If anyone should decide to load their bad mood onto you, you can happily smile, delete the comment and get on with your day ;)
Just a little note About asking for feedback
I’m not keen on my girls asking other photographers for feedback as I’ve seen more harm done than good. I've listed the types of feedback that I find confusing and contra-productive above.
I don’t allow it in my Facebook groups as I would have to employ someone to read every post and every comment. As you’ve seen above, feedback has many faces, and most of them are usually well-meant but in no way helpful.
Innocently asking people if they like the image is also an open invitation to criticise it strongly. The only person who needs to love it is YOU!
Use groups like Girls with Cameras to showcase your work, or even better SOOP as you will get professional feedback for your images any time you need it.
In other groups, outside Girls with Cameras, if someone wrongly attacks you or your image, then make a screenshot of the comment and send it to one of the admins via Messenger. I would personally remove the member without further notice. If the admin fails to do so or doesn't explain to you how they are dealing with the situation, then I would advise you to leave the group.
I would strongly advise you to learn the ropes of photography, understand which rules to abide by and about the elements which can ruin an image. The so-called “no-gos”. With this knowledge in place, you will know for sure that your image is as it can be at your stage of development.
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