randomeyes Loc: wilds of b.c. canada

I have seen shots that the taker has thought were contest winners, that were at best "pedestrian". Conversely, I have seen what the taker has thought were "throwaways"
that were actually very good. Opinions of course.

Should the photographer be his own harshest critic, or are opinions to be sought?

Old Timer Loc: Greenfield, In.

Yes, absolutely.

ebrunner Loc: New Jersey Shore

A wise person once told me that I should be fairly indiscriminate in the field. Shoot the photo, even if you don't think it will amount to much. Then, when you get to your computer, you need to be your own harshest critic. I think the difficult part of this is to recognize when you have come up with something good. I usually like to get opinions from others to confirm my suspicions that something might be good. Of course, this is also a good way to find out if you have missed the mark.

Pepper Loc: Planet Earth Country USA

I think it just depends on the photograph and its purpose. If the shot is being entered in a contest then one must be able to look at the shot with a critical eye for whatever the judges will be looking for. If the shot is recording an event then the shot needs to be looked at from a different perspective. I’ve seen photos that may not be all they could be photographically speaking but at the same time they can bring a tear to ones eye. I think we sometimes get so carried away with the quality of a shot that we no longer can see the photo for what it is or for what it has to say. My favorite photo is one of my late wife taken while she was painting our living room. It was a quick shot done in fun not meant to be a photographic masterpiece but just something done while horsing around. She has paint on her face and a bandana around her head and again photographically nothing special but to me it my prize possession. Much, maybe even most, photography in my world is subjective and the beauty of an image has as much to do with what it says than what it is. In other words each photograph should have some kind of purpose and the critic needs to take that purpose into consideration.

olcoach Loc: Oregon

I think most of us are our harshest critics. There are a few exceptions to this rule.

amehta Loc: Boston

There will be some shots which the photographer simply connects with for personal reasons, but they won't really mean much to anyone else.

For most pictures, the photographer knows the range of what the are producing, so they know what is their best work, and they should enjoy those results.

Pepper Loc: Planet Earth Country USA

I think I agree. When one gets to a point where one can only enjoy perfection there's very little to enjoy. Obsession with the technical aspects of most any art form can rob one of its joy.

lighthouse Loc: No Fixed Abode

Yes, you should be your own harshest critic.
But you should also be prepared to keep and value a work that everyone else hates or sees nothing in.

amehta Loc: Boston

I had more written out, but after I read your response, mine would have been redundant but less eloquent.

Pepper Loc: Planet Earth Country USA

Thank you, very kind words.

Dan821 Loc: Traveling........

I am my own worst critic...

randomeyes Loc: wilds of b.c. canada

As am I!

PalePictures Loc: Traveling

I kinda follow the Dale Carnegie and Napolean Hill Philosophy

1) Criticism doesn't work.
2) If you have enough desire you will find a way.

Everything else in my opinion is just opinion.

Everyone is different. We often like to wrap things up in a nice little package and say this is the way it is.
I wish I knew everything I wanted to know.

BigBear Loc: Northern CT

When going through my pics and find some that are good but aren't the quality shots I want, I put them aside and go back over them at another time. I may change my mind as to how I feel about them then, if not then I ditch them.

erbPIX Loc: Greater New York City area

Yes. Compare with a standard like NatGeo or many of the pix here in UGG.