Get Critique ~Insanely Useful Photography Tips

I am always at the beginning no matter how far down the path I go.  20 years of being a working photographer and this is what I have learn. I need to be critiqued to get better!

Being critiqued is a lost art that desperately needs to be brought back into photography.

Growth only happens when you feed the creative-soul. In a social media world of “thumbs-up” and “likes” being the benchmark of how we judge our work...we are all starving.

In my conversation/critique sessions with Vincent Pugliese he has taught me the “why” of what I do.  The why of how I wish to create, capture and compose a photograph.

Most successful photographers have mastered the “what” and “how” of our profession but unlocking the “why” is seldom thought about.

VP brings this to the forefront of his photographic approach to critiquing a photograph.

Getting to the “why” is not easy.

The “what” and “how”...that we know.

What: we take photos because we love it, it is our passion, it is a source of income.
How: technical knowledge of gear, light and 10,000 hours behind the camera.

This is where most photographers stop growing and ultimately it leads to their failure.

Why: it’s not because we love it (love, passion, money is all part of “what”).  “Why” is deeper. “Why” goes into every click of the shutter, every frame we snap. “Why” is discovering the inspiration, the experience, the belief...it’s the reason we do what we do.  “Why” motivates us to stay with the mysteries and to aspire, to transform, to create something new.

Through conversation/critiquing sessions with VP you will discover the deeper meaning of the “why” within your work.

Understanding of the “why” will unveil strengths (& weaknesses) that you have. Trust me, Vin will not hold back on your weaknesses; his “bootcamp approach” is not for the thumbs-up crowd.  It is for those of us willing to do the work and move into a higher tier of photographic excellence.

This is a personal journey for the photographer; there is no one way to create an exposure and there is no one way to be a photographer. VP will critique you on becoming the best working-professional-photographer that you can be. Notice that I have hyphenated the last words together in the previous sentence because that is the trinity that he will guide you towards.

After my time with VP, I find myself taking lots more photos, shooting more efficiently, shooting more relaxed, enjoying the process more than ever before (trust me I thought I was happy with my previous work).

As for me my “why” is: to create purposeful photographs that document the legacy of the subject, to bring providence to the viewers and to strip away the non-essential elements that do not add to the story within the frame.

What is your why?

Create, Connect & Grow,
John Craig