At 13:33 10/24/00 , B.B. Bean wrote:
>
>To my thinking, every photo submitted to TOPE (or any other public
>venue) was submitted for critique. If you didn't want anyone to
>comment on your images, why not just stick them on the walls of your
>bedroom and admire them alone?
>
>BB
As a poster to the ADITL and TOPE I like the critiques. If someone has a
"howdjadoit" or question I'll eventually respond with a "howididit" when I
see it there. Some are technical, and that is greatly appreciated. Others
may also suggest a different view of how to make the photograph
artistically, and that is much appreciated too. It may improve on my
vision for what I wanted in that particular photograph or it may not match
it at all, but at the least it gives me ideas for other images in the
future, or gives me insight about what a different technique would have
produced, and even that is valuable to me. That's what "interpretation"
is, and it relies on being able to envision alternatives for an image.
Very rarely, if ever, do any two photogs share the same vision for
portraying a particular subject. Anyone displaying images publicly must
have enough self-esteem and self-confidence to withstand artistic
criticism. Even the world-class [insert favorite judged or juried activity
here] rarely get perfect scores from _all_ the judges! Negative criticism
is always a blow to the ego. I'd be a liar to say anything otherwise.
It's how one uses it as something to improve or expand ability that's
important. In the final analysis ["at the end of the day" in other parts
of the world] it's whether your own images satisfy yourself: are they
technically executed the way you intended and do they convey the "message"
you wanted to convey to the intended viewer[s].
Participating in them has improved my photography. It has made me think
about what I'm doing, plan how I'm going to do it, and spurred me to try
some subject material and techniques I normally would not have tried.
-- John
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