Many club members have asked, how can I become a better judge when viewing and voting on the photographs at our monthly competition, and gain more insight to learn from our critiques? Before understanding how to make a judgment on a photograph, you need to define criticism, know the types of criticism, and the value of criticism. A much broader range of activities, and not just the act of judging, is the typical reference for criticism. Criticism is defined as the act of making discriminating (both positive & negative) judgments and evaluations of artistic works. To fully appreciate a photograph, you need to observe, think, and talk about it. One of four things happens when you criticize a photograph: You describe, interpret, evaluate, or theorize about the artwork, these four events are the types of criticism. Some people engage in single events, or use multiple events when criticizing. People should always describe the photograph, before moving on to the other three events. Quite simply put, an increased knowledge and appreciation of artwork, is the value of good criticism.
First in describing a photograph, one must tell about what they notice. This is the data collecting process, or the listing of facts. Descriptions answer the questions: “What is here? What am I looking at? What do I know with certainty about this photograph?” With description, you are concerned with subject matter, medium, and form. Descriptions are supported by basic elements such as: arrangement of objects, colors or contrast, horizons, patterns, leading edges or lines, position of the main subject using the rule of thirds. Key elements the impact images are: Focus, Horizon, Positioning, Framing, Line, Perspective, Depth, Balance, Color, Contrast, Shape, Pattern, Texture, Exposure, Viewpoint, and Brightness. Descriptions are also supported by types of compositional lines such as: Psychological – implied lines of motion or emotion. Upright – Strength and balance. Curved – Peaceful movement, steeper curve gives more tension and force. Diagonal – Dynamic movement in direction of line. Jagged – Tension and anxiety. Wavy – Unhurried peaceful movement. Horizontal – neutrality of motion and tension. Perspective – converging lines, to a central point of interest.
Next is the event of interpreting the photograph. Interpretation is set into motion when attention or discussion move beyond the offering of information to matters of meaning. Interpreting is the telling of the point, the meaning, the sense, the tone, or the mood of the image. Interpretations go beyond the description of the photograph to build meaning. Interpretations offer new information to generate new meaning.
The next event is the evaluating process of the photograph. The terms evaluation and judgment are really one in the same. When evaluating a photograph, you state how good or not good it is. A judgment is the what, that demands a why. Without giving reasons to the why, or without the benefit of description or evaluation is irresponsible. Responsible judgments can and should be argued, not pronounced.
The final optional event is to Theorize about a photograph. This is about what someone believes what art is or should be. Theorizing photographs, results is conclusions that are more or less enlightening, informative, or helpful in making photography, photographs, and the world more understandable. Theorizing increases, our understanding about images and better prepares us to join in discussions about what we are doing in the making and criticizing of photographs. The analyzing and critique of photographs is more beneficial and enjoyable when we offer careful descriptions, full interpretations, and reasons and criteria with our judgments.
I hope that the information shared in this inaugural column of “From The Classroom” of the VBPC Newsletter, will benefit our Club Members in better understanding the overall process of analyzing photographs that you view, judge, and critique. For further detailed reading on this subject, I suggest the same book from which the information for this article was extracted, as well as one of the best books written for this subject matter. Criticizing Photographs – An Introduction to Understanding Images – Third Edition, Terry Barrett.