This list is here to help you get started when writing a critique. You donāt need to cover everythingājust focus on what stands out to you most.
If youāre new to NPN, we recommend starting with our guide on The Art of Image Critique, which outlines the mindset and approach behind meaningful feedback. This page complements that guide with practical ideas and prompts.
A strong critique is thoughtful, specific, and personal. Consider what the image is trying to communicate, what is working well, and where it might be strengthened.
If the photographer has shared their intent, try to respond to that directly.
Start Here
If youāre unsure where to begin, try this simple approach:
What draws you into the image?
What feels especially strong or effective?
Where do you feel the image could be improved?
What suggestions might help strengthen it?
Vision and Intent
What do you feel the photographer is trying to express?
Is that intention coming through clearly?
Does the image feel personal or distinctive?
Does it create an emotional response or sense of connection?
Does it suggest a story or deeper meaning?
Concept and Coherence
Is there a clear idea or theme behind the image?
Do the elements of the image support that idea?
Are there any elements that feel out of place or distracting?
Does the image feel unified and intentional?
Mood and Atmosphere
What kind of mood does the image create?
How do light and color contribute to that mood?
Do contrast and tones enhance the feeling of the image?
Do elements like weather, texture, or motion add to the atmosphere?
Composition
Is the subject framed in a way that feels strong and intentional?
Do lines, shapes, or forms guide your eye through the image?
Does the image feel balanced, or is imbalance used effectively?
Would a different crop improve the image?
Does the use of space help simplify or strengthen the composition?
Depth and Visual Flow
Does the image have a sense of depth where appropriate?
Do elements lead your eye through the frame?
Are layers, patterns, or textures used effectively?
Does the image feel visually engaging from front to back?
Color
Do the colors work well together?
Is color used to create contrast or draw attention?
Does the intensity of color feel appropriate?
Does the color feel natural or intentionally stylized?
Light
What stands out about the quality of light?
Does the direction of light enhance the subject?
Are highlights and shadows handled well?
Processing
Does the processing support the image without becoming distracting?
Are there areas that feel over- or under-processed?
Would subtle adjustments (contrast, brightness, dodging/burning) improve the image?
If stylized, does the processing feel intentional and cohesive?
Technical Considerations
Is the image sharp where it needs to be?
Does the depth of field support the image?
Are exposure and tonal balance handled well?
Are there any technical issues that affect the image?
A Final Thought
You donāt need to be an expert to write a meaningful critique. Honest observations, clearly expressed, are often the most valuable.
Start with what you see and feel, be specific in your feedback, and aim to help the photographer see new possibilities in their work.
I think you have most if not all the bases covered. My concern is how people are going to absorb this. We donāt, for the most part, learn through intellect. For the most part we learn through experience. What you have written here is an expression of intention, but intention is not very meaningful unless it is attached to action or practice. I havenāt been as active on NPN this year as I have been in the past. But on occasions where I have posted as well as on occasions where I have critiqued others and read the critiques of others, I have to say, I donāt think the quality of critiquing has improved a whole lot. I find that many, even most people fall back to what is safe, namely technical advice. I donāt think most people appreciate just how valuable critiquing is for growing as a photographer - and Iām talking about critiquing, not being critiqued. Iāve learned more about what makes an impactful photograph through critiquing than any other single action Iāve taken as a photographer. I think one of the best ways to learn is to critique the masters because we know that the photography of, say, Vincent Munier is āgreatā, the question, however is why? Why does this image move me? Why do I have any feelings about it at all? Equally, critiquing our own work can be eye-opening as well as it helps us to clarify our intention (vision) and the means we took to actualize it (voice) . I think everything you listed above helps us to answer the āwhyā but I wonder if there is a way to distill it a bit more. For example, I might make āmoodā a category and list below it all the ways in which mood is created - colour, light and shadow, composition etc. In any case I donāt know if you have put these categories in any particular order but I would say this, that for me at least āTechnical Aspectsā does not belong at the top of the list but rather, at the bottom.
I realize Iām rambling on but that is because I have strong feelings about critiquing and the respect it deserves in terms of what we can learn as photographers about photography through practicing it.
Agreed, and I have other ideas in mind to get people more engaged, this is one of the stepping stones to help with the thought process. Just a tool to stimulate ideas.
Absolutely true, and we need to encourage going beyond this.
Great idea, Iāve added this!
Agreed. Thank you for the reminder, I meant to reorder these to avoid too much tech talk. This is done as well.
@David_Kingham - to the list under āMoodā, which youāve covered very nicely, I might also add āmotionā - choice of shutter speed or camera movement to help create a mood.
Overall, these ideas are great! I also like Kerryās remark:
Maybe something could be included in these āIdeasā to encourage critique of the extent to which the photo seems to fulfill the photographerās intention, if declared. I would be even tempted to reword the Submission Formās section āWould you like any specific feedback (optional)?ā as I too often tap in āAll comments welcomeā here and realize how unnecessary this is!
What I think is missing is the āMore Than a Rockā quality of an image. The artistic merit of an image that is not defined by composition, leading lines, color, etc. The Vision of the photographer that goes beyond the literal of what is there.
In fact I think VISION should be a category in itself, with questions to be answered that help photographer have a vision and show it. Vision, in my opinion, is the most difficult thing to achieve and therefore most donāt even try. And thatās fine. The only mentee I had was primarily interested in developing her vision and I find that most advanced photographers struggle with it. Itās like āyou have nothing to say but you say it beautifullyā. I think emotion and mood can lead to vision but thatās not enough. The current template does not do enough to encourage members to not make superficial (shallow) images.
I guess what Iām saying is that all of the suggestions in the template can be met and yet the image can be mediocre. So there is something missing. Purpose and how itās being achieved.
There is a āconceptualā category in the current way of critiquing thatās not even mentioned in this template. Why was it dropped? Perhaps because nobody asks for this type of critique. They likely didnāt ask for it because they didnāt know what that meant.
PS As I read Kerryās comments I realize that Iām just elaborating on what he has said about vision and purpose.
What a great list, it is very helpful when trying to analyze an image with the purpose to give more meaningful critique but also when thinking of how to go about when creating my own images.
When reading rev. 7 of the list I have only one comment regarding the detailed content:
When it comes to mood in an image, the weather (temperature, amount and form of airborne moisture, cloudiness, and strength of wind) could contribute a lot. Should that be explicitly mentioned in the list?
Wow, David, thank you! This list and the discussion it has generated is really valuable! Iāll use it, and Iāll keep coming back to it! Best regards ā MET
David, fantastic post and revisions. Iām previewing a course for a photographer I admire, and you have distilled hours into 3 pp (yes, I printed it - nerd alert!). As a couple of others have mentioned, I find these questions to be helpful when shooting and when critiquing not only othersā work but my own work. As my post-processing improves, I sometimes find an interesting image in older work where the in-camera is 99% there and tweaks to color, contrast, etc. can reveal intent much more clearly. Thank you for this.
One thing I would like to say about vision but Iām not sure how to incorporate it here.
How many times have you received the comment āthis looks peacefulā, or to that effect. I see this all the time. Itās very impersonal in a way. Either because the viewer hasnāt spent enough time with it or has difficulty expressing him/hefself. One of the best ways to get your impression across is through metaphor or analogies. āThis is as peaceful as ā¦ā. I would encourage everyone to approach their comments that way and also use it when making pictures. Strange as it may seem comparing your vision to something conveys it better than just saying what it is. @John_Williams is very good at these sort of comments in my opinion.
Hereās an example. Yesterday I was finishing the short story The Death of Ivan Ilyich. The ending is particularly instructive. Instead of just describing the end as a doctor might Tolstoy introduces the metaphot of a sack. Ivan felt as though entering a dark sack which bound him on all sides and from which he could not back out. When I read this it took the whole ending to another level of experience. I understood him and his experience much better.
Personally I believe that this way of looking at images and making images is essential to good photography. We should somehow get people to understand this.
Thank you for that. One thing Iāve noticed is that now it is no longer possible to download an edited image in a comment. Is that intentional or am I missing something? I was able to work around this issue for now by copying and pasting the file directly into the comment but I donāt think thatās your intention.
