1. PHOTO CRITIQUING
Jordan Black
Period 3

2. FOUR STANDARDS
• Value: concerns light; refers to the range of light in the photo
-The more contrast a photograph has (the wider the range between its darkest
and lightest elements), the greater impact it will have on the human eye.
• Clarity: whether the photograph is correctly focused
-To determine whether or not the photo is in focus, ask yourself what is in
focus? Should that object be in focus? Next, ask yourself what is not in focus.
Should it be?
-If the background is clear enough to provide a context, but not steal the
attention from the subject, the background is usually focused correctly.

3. FOUR STANDARDS CON’T
• Presentation: is the photograph clean?
• Look for:
-scratches, white flecks, etc. that should not be on the negative
• Composition consists of…
• Point of Interest: ask yourself if there is a clear point of interest. Does it
stand out or get lost in its surroundings? A good photo will have one
dominant focus
• Cropping: the way a picture is framed should include the important
elements and eliminate wasted space
-The balance of the photograph should be even. Look for pictures that are
top-heavy or lop sided.

4. FOUR STANDARDS CON’T
• Cropping (con’t)
-Compositions can be balanced in two ways: static or dynamic
-Static: stands still, focus the object in the center
-Dynamic: movement, focus the object towards one of the sides or the
corners
• Lines: lines and curves can point focus towards an object and can be vital
to the eye’s focus. If a line distracts or pulls the eye away from the
intended focus, it is a negative line in the photo.

5. SAMPLE CRITIQUE

6. SAMPLE CRITIQUE
The photograph’s contrast is a little weak. Some of the areas are gray and
bothersome because it seems like a light gray film is covering the entire photo.
However, since the background and the woman’s shirt are both very dark, and
her skin and hair are very light, they contrast each other nicely. All elements
of the subject are very clear.

7. SAMPLE CRITIQUE 2

8. SAMPLE CRITIQUE 2
The photograph is very clear and focused. The point of interest is to the right
of the photo which gives the eye something different to look for. The colors
contrast each other nicely and although the gorilla blends in to the dark
background, the green of the plants make him stand out.

9. SAMPLE CRITIQUE 3

10. SAMPLE CRITIQUE 3
All of the elements of this photo are attractive to the eye. The colors contrast
each other nicely and the sky brings the eye’s attention to the house, which is a
bright color. It is a focused photo and the trees naturally frame the house
which makes it pleasing for the viewer. The photo has a nice balance however
some of the elements get lost in their surroundings because there are a few
main focal points.

11. CITATIONS
"THE RICHARD AVEDON FOUNDATION." THE RICHARD AVEDON
FOUNDATION. Web. 11 Jan. 2013. <http://www.richardavedon.com/>.
"Yellow Field, Architecture, Beautiful, Field, Flowers, Grass, House, Houses,
Landscape, Nature, Peaceful, Sky, Trees, Yellow | Wallpapersus.com." Yellow
Field, Architecture, Beautiful, Field, Flowers, Grass, House, Houses, Landscape, Nature,
Peaceful, Sky, Trees, Yellow | Wallpapersus.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Jan. 2013.