Instead of just keeping all of this in my head, I’ve created this list to help me, and others, as beginners, get better at critiquing our own photos!
The biggest theme in all of this is INTENTION! Every decision should be tried to be made with intention. Including elements or adjusting color needs to be done because you feel it would add something to the photo, not simply because it was easy to include.
Remember, photography boils down to simplifying the scene into the frame.
An evergrowing checklist
- Subject: Is it clear what the photo is about? Or are there too many components fighting for attention? It’s fine if that is the case but it has to be intentional.
- Edge Check: Are there things on the edge of the frame which pull the gaze away? E.g. bright spots of light
- Balance: Are different elements properly placed to not create too much weight on one side?
- Negative space vs Dead space: Can you tell if an empty space is balancing the elements and allowing them to breathe or is it just unintentionally included?
- Focus: Are the things that should be in focus, in focus? It’s fine if the foreground is blurry but again, INTENTIONALITY!
- Exposure: Are there enough details in the highlights and the shadows? You can have very dark or very bright/blown-out regions, but they have to be a part of the story
- Is the horizon leveled?
- Are the dust spots removed?
- Is the white balance adjusted?
- Would perspective compression or wide-angle distortion help?
- Is there too much sky or water?
Editing
- Sharpening without creating “halos”
- Do you need to dehaze or add contrast?
- Clarity and texture were added without making the photo crunchy
- Crop!
- Have you reduced noise without softening too many details?
- Color vs black and white
- Chromatic Aberration Check!