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As photographers, we all tend to look at photographs with a critical eye. For what it's worth, I thought I would attempt to share my 'workflow' when I am evaluating a photograph. This though process may help someone understand how I, and possibly others, evaluate an image. It may also give you a new way to look at what you see.
Categorizing the Photo
The first step involves determining what type of photograph I am viewing. Photos usually break down into two major categories: setup shots and spontaneous shots. Setup photos include anything done in a studio or controlled environment, posed portraits, landscapes (urban or not), or any other type of photo where the photographer has a lot of control over the situation. Spontaneous shots include candid photos, some types of wildlife photography, sports and other action photography, and other types of photos where the photographer has little or no control over the situation. I find it extremely important to evaluate this because my evaluation of the execution of the photograph depends on whether or not the photographer made the best of his situation (will be discussed later).
Finding the Idea or Point of Interest
The next part of my workflow involves asking myself what the photographer is trying to show me in a photograph. There should be something in the photograph that relays an idea or a point of interest. The point of interest will usually jump out, but the images based on an idea may require a little more effort on my part to understand. Most photographers create an image for a reason. If I can't find the point of interest or idea within the photo, I can't evaluate it fairly and I can't allow myself to 'enjoy' the message within the image. I stop evaluating at this point because nothing else matters. I generally don't like the photo at this point. Other viewers may, however, be able to find a point of interest or theme that makes them think about the image more. They may relate to the image in some way that I could not find. Our personal interest in any given subject or idea will vary.
The idea and/or point of interest in a photograph also help create the visual appeal of the image. Visual appeal is quite subjective, and it's not always created by something pretty. The overall appeal of any particular photo may come completely from its theme rather than from the subject itself.
Evaluating the Execution
After I have determined what type of photo I'm viewing and where the theme or point of interest lies, I can evaluate how well the photo was executed. If I can't find the point of interest or idea, or if I don't like either, I rarely even bother to consider the execution. To me, execution is secondary to my interest in the subject or theme. Any given photograph may have great execution qualities and nothing of interest for me to look at.
In a photo where the photographer has a lot of control over the situation, I don't give much or any leeway in execution. If a photograph is of the spontaneous type, I try to determine if the photographer made the best possible photo in the given conditions.
In a photo where the photographer has little or no control over the situation, I don't get so picky about technical elements of the image. The success of these photos seems to depend more on the visual or emotive impact. I try to determine if the exposure is as good as it can be and if the photographer composed the shot in the best way possible for the given situation. The general rules of photography don't apply as much. What I tend to look for in these images are elements that do NOT work. Would a different depth of field improve the image? If so, I think the photographer should have attempted it. The same holds true for a different shutter speed. The backgrounds also play an important role. If they are too busy, the photo generally suffers because of it. There are lots of things a photographer can do in uncontrollable situations to make the best of them.
The execution of a photograph is where the photographer gets to inject some of himself into the image. I look at everything I see as a creative choice made by the photographer. If something is out of focus, I consider that to be a choice. The composition is a choice. Shutter speed and aperture settings are choices. The camera angle or perspective is a choice. Any post processing is definitely a choice. When I determine that a choice has been made by the photographer, I start trying to figure out why the choice was made. If the choice supports the subject or the overall theme of the photo, it was usually a good choice. These choices should be for a reason. These choices should improve my opinion of the image and not make me think too long about why they were made.
In A Nutshell ...
I categorize the photograph so I know how to evaluate it properly. Then I look for the subject or theme of the image. If I like either, I determine how well it was executed.
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