Criticizing Photographs

How do you look at the photography or art of others? How do you look at your own work? How do others view your work? Is there a "proper" way to do this? Is critique meant to be negative? These are some of the many questions asked over and over by photographers and artists everywhere. There seem to be as many opinions on this subject as there are on Nikon vs. Canon or PC vs. Mac. Where do you go to learn about how to critique? What are the "rules"?

Here's a very good book to start with. It's called "Criticizing Photographs: An Introduction to Understanding Images, 4th ed." by Terry Barrett. 2006. McGraw-Hill Press. ISBN 0-07-297743-4. Terry Barrett is a Professor of Art Education with a joint appointment in the Department of Art, Ohio State University. He is also an art critic for the Ohio Arts Council.

The book is divided into discreet but related chapters following the four categories of criticism developed by Morries Weitz: Describing, Interpreting, Evaluating, and Theorizing. Additional chapters include Types of Photographs - new categorizations such as descriptive, ethically evaluative and aesthetically evaluative, and Writing and Talking About Photographs (how to criticize).

There are many detailed examples from well-known critics regarding well-known photographic works from such as Richard Avedon, Robert Mapplethorpe, Cindy Sherman, and others. Well-written and informative. Developed more as a textbook than a general text, it does not read like a textbook and contains a lot of information beneficial to the photographer both to help you evaluate the work of others and to help you look at your own work in a new (and perhaps improved) way.