How to Give a Critique

Wow. Let’s just say if you go on the internet at all you will be bombarded by people improperly giving critique.  Critiquing can be so helpful and really aid you in growing as a creator.  It is absolutely necessary to put your work in front of those you trust to gain a new perspective on your work. I know this might be a sensitive topic for some so please allow me to gently offer some thoughts and rules to giving someone a critique.

1. Don’t give one unless the creator asks for one.

I feel like this is so obvious, but some people feel entitled to give their opinion without anyone actually asking for it.  If you are guilty of this it is completely understandable.  Once you’ve learned a new skill yourself, you want so desperately to pass it on to others.  So perhaps your critique comes from a good place.  However, you have the power as a critic to destroy that joy someone gets from creating.  Consider that with the weight it deserves.  Think of when you were just starting out, and how you were just trying to discover how things worked. Think of the fun you had from just the creative process!  Now think of a time when you shared your creation, and someone ripped it apart. How did you feel? Were you completely defeated? Was that critique offered taken in a constructive and helpful way or did you just want to give up.  It is so easy to dehumanize someone, especially on the internet. Remember that your words have power!

2.  The Feedback Sandwich

Look and think about what you want to say and check the tone in which you deliver this feedback.  Point out the positive things that you think were executed well.  If you can’t come up with anything positive, it’s best to just keep your mouth shut. If you don’t have anything nice to say then don’t say anything at all.  Most of the time you will be able to come up with something positive to say to encourage the creator.  Remember, you want to build them up, not tear them down.  Once you’ve offered some things you think they’ve executed well, then offer specific things they could have improved upon. Making it specific will give the creator something tangible to work on.  Improvement is actually possible at this point and you as the critic aren’t just being hateful.  Next, add something positive again and encourage them to keep working to be even better at their craft.  This will help your feedback to be well received and valued.

3. Check Your Motives

This is really a summary of the other two points.  It goes back to- are you being asked for a critique and is it your goal to help the other person or not?  It’s easy to be prideful when giving a critique.  It’s easy to elevate yourself over this other person who is asking you for your opinion.  It’s easy to tear someone else down to make yourself feel better.  Giving a critique should be helpful and not harmful.  If it is not your intent to be helpful, then it is best to refrain from offering your opinion.   

A Note About Receiving A Critique:

Now when you receive a critique it is easy to be hurt.  This is especially true if your expectations are not met. We as creators put our heart and soul into our art.  Before you react to your critique give it some time.  Just sit with it for a while.  Ask yourself why you are hurt? Was it personal?  Are you so emotionally attached to what you created that you cannot stand back from it and receive a critique?  If you cannot be objective, then you need to step away from it for a while.  Breaks are OK! The first few times you receive a critique are hard, but you do get used to it over time.  And both giving and receiving critique will help you hone your craft! So, get out there and find a group you trust.  Before you know it, you will be improving by leaps and bounds.

I hope you find this helpful!  I think there are some solid principles in here that you can apply to whatever your hobby (or your friend’s hobbies) might be.  Thanks for reading!       

How to do a Double Exposure

What is a double exposure? It is a technique that layers two different exposures on a single image, combining two photographs into one. 

There are 3 different ways to do a double exposure.  The first is with a digital camera.  You can achieve this in camera.  For Nikon you would go to the photo shooting menu (which is the camera icon in your menu).  From there you would select the multiple exposure mode.  Arrow down to select the number of shots you want to combine.  Then select multiple exposure and arrow through to turn on for a single photo or series.  When you take your first photo there will be a symbol of overlapping squares at the top of your photo on the LCD screen.  Then take another and it will combine them for you!  For me personally, I have added this multiple exposure option to the “my menu” feature on my Nikon D750.  That way it is easily accessible.  On a Canon it is very similar.  You would use the dial to turn across to “multiple exposure” and click “set.” You will then have several sub menus options.  This article here explains better on how to do it on a Canon.

The second option is if you shoot film.  Some film cameras allow you to do this, and some do not.  With film I believe you generally try to overexpose, but with double exposures it is best to underexpose.  It might take some getting used to. To create the double exposure, you will want to expose the same frame more than one time. Google it to see if your film camera has this capability and read more about shooting double exposures on film here.

The third way is to do it in Photoshop. Choose the photos that you think will layer nicely.  For my example I have used a puddle with a leaf in it and a portrait. Open them in Photoshop and put one layer over the other.  Then adjust the opacity. I have then masked off the areas of her face that I want to show through and have more detail. I did this by adding a layer mask to my overlaying puddle photo.  I then paint with a soft black brush to let the lower portrait layer show through. I then brought in more color by adding a blue gradient layer.  I then masked off the areas I didn’t want the gradient layer to affect.  I then added some paint on a new layer to add depth and more of the orange color.  I set it to pin light according to my preference and lowered the opacity. And there you have it! Adobe has a great tutorial here.  

It’s easy to do, but to be successful compositionally it can be quite difficult.  With a double exposure the shadows of your first frame will be filled in by the light parts of your second frame.  So, it’s best to try to visualize what you want it to look like.  Though it can be very hit and miss.  It’s something worth experimenting with. Sometimes overexposing or underexposing can help you clearly define the double exposure. If you want to see an outline of your subject place your subject against a blank background.   

Thanks for reading!

A Quick and Easy Guide to Freelensing

Many of you know that I am in the middle of my 365 project.  That is where you create a photo every day for a full year. Welp, I am halfway done, and I have had to use some artistic experiments to keep myself creating every day. One of the things I have been experimenting with is freelensing. 

Freelensing is when you remove the lens from the camera body and select focus by holding the lens close to the sensor and gently tilting it to obtain a very small slice of focus. I have been doing it for about a full month now.  I am sure I will move on to something else soon, but I really wanted to master it. I have seen it done by others such as Lucy Ketchum, Holly Awwad, and Erica Williams, and I am so intrigued by it! Now this technique is not for the perfectionist.  Sometimes you won’t catch focus at all, but it will result in a dreamy blur. Embrace it!  

See this on the Daily Project.

You may be thinking, “can I actually take a photo with the lens removed from the body!!?” The answer is yes.  Just be careful not to do it on a windy or rainy day to ensure you do not get dirt or dust on your camera sensor.  I like to make sure my exposure settings are right before I remove my lens.  I know many people like to use the live view to help you see where you are capturing focus.  However, I personally like to use my viewfinder.  I find the little focus confirmation dot in the corner of my viewfinder really helps me to capture focus. Especially since it is lost so easily.  To obtain focus it helps to move closer and farther away from your subject.  Also twisting the focus ring in and out on your lens will help.  For this reason, I really like to use my 50mm lens.  I have tried just about all my other lenses and this one is my favorite.  It just seems to be the right focal length and the focus ring is much easier to adjust one handed than all my other lenses.  Tilting the lens side to side or up and down will also affect where your focus lands.  It will also affect how much light comes into your camera, so play around with light leaks and hazy light. For Nikon users like me you will need to prop open the aperture ring. On some Nikon lenses the default position of the aperture is closed, and you will need it to be wide open for this experiment.  If you have a manual lens (like the Lensbaby twist 60) you can open your aperture up and not have to worry about it. For Canon users, I believe you don’t have to worry about this either as the default position is wide open.  To prop the aperture open on my 50mm lens I use a small piece of Bristol board.  Card stock would work too, or you can use tape.  I have found the Bristol board to be the best method for me.  

I love using this technique for backlight.  I think it makes everything extra dreamy. I also like to use it for summery scenes like the sprinkler.  (Just make sure you stand at a distance to keep your camera dry.)  I also like to use this to emphasize that feeling of nostalgia.  It is also great for those tiny details you want to draw attention to.  It is a great technique to experiment with, so I hope you all try it out! Please tag me so I can see your freelensing creations!! And don’t be surprised if I try it at your next session with me. 

Thanks for reading!