When Criticism Comes Along…

Whenever someone says something about one of your pictures, and you don’t like it – then that’s a shame, but frankly, it’s not the end of the world.

You should be able to take it on the nose, and deal with it, because photography and art is so personal and subjective. Opinions differ and we should all be prepared to be ‘wrong’.

To say that you ‘like’ or ‘dislike’ something though, isn’t criticism, it’s an opinion, and not critique.

If I take a photo, and like it, it really won’t follow that anyone else will. They may neither appreciate nor understand it at all.

The images I take are sometimes very personal, and I wouldn’t expect anyone else to understand my motivation in taking them at all.  This though is a good thing.  I’ve done my best with something that interests me, and if someone else doesn’t like it, then that’s the way life is, and I have to live with that.

Remember that just because a person doesn’t like your photograph, it doesn’t mean it’s bad.  What you can’t do is let them influence you into doing something that ‘they’ like but you do not.  Take suggestions on board yes, have a go at new things, change your image if you must, or if you think it really will help, but don’t change just ‘because’ they said so.

You really don’t have to worry about what other folk think – just enjoy your own work……