Linda From Maine wrote:
Yes, personal likes and dislikes of the viewer are often confused with "critique" by most of us on UHH - because we've never been instructed on the proper way to critique an image. ...
Did Linda's "proper way to critique an image." Mean what were candy coating words for commenting on negatives? OR Did Linda mean proper standards of "good" photos, Composition, lighting, story"? OR Both?
I have given critiques on photos that were worth the analysis to save them, and it has generally been met with the huff-puff response or ignored in the sea non-thinking non-critical comments like of "nice shot" etc. I have learned to blame the lead judge of the Tampabay Camera Club who sits on my left shoulder and comments in my ear... quoting his condemnation of my early works there. As in the all images critiqued at the club, I have always consider UHH as a learning site.
The greatest "sin" I see in UHH photos is
not cropping to the story and the use of simple tool such as straightening, and clone to rid of extraneous distracting items. Up to a point IQ is the mindset burned into us by the Camera manufacturers during the pixel race. With modern AI old 3 mpix photos can become up to date clean, sharp, hi resolution.
Choice of subject: Choice must have a reason or theme... how man bird photos need there be? What is the story?... Would one have a sub-category in UHH on Dog Feces? The cats face may be meaningful and a point of love to the photographer, but what if any thing do Fefe's smiling eyes have to say. The eye of a fly is something we never have seen because of the need of high magnification and specialized lighting. Check out the textbook should be quality that sippyjug104 gives us. Is verbal AI art formation a photo[?] ... that is a stretch beyond the lens and sensor.
Lighting: There have been many How-2 detailed setups. I have never seen a discussion of "Ray Analysis" a technique employed to determine where the lights were positioned. Lighting is critical... I was dismayed at the Jail Booking photos... some were so overexposed. If taking such photos hour after hour day after day how does one screw up, it is simple portrait photography like senior high-school year book photos.
Composition: Individual taste, aaaaa perhaps, but we are all pre-programmed by our culture. A book on "Free Will" suggests we are all programmed from our beginnings of perception and it is hard, or impossible to escape. In the west, we read a photo from lower left to upper right... influenced by how we read text from left to right. The photo is punctuated on the right and should not wander off without a period. I refer to the experts in Art and Psychology in what I consider a great {big and good} free text... oops, the server is down or removed.. but here are the works, articles and books, of John Suler Photographer and Psychologist.
https://www.johnsuler.com/The Free book is at, I hope it is there but the server is down
http://truecenterpublishing.com/photopsy/article_index.htmas suggested by me many times but also by st3v3 in:
https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-145462-1.html