About Critiques Online

What is Critiques Online?
Critiques Online is a collection of photographers that are convinced the surest and quickest way to improve your photographic skils and results is though competing in Print Competition. Critiques Online's number one goal is to get you and your images ready for print competition.

What are the Goals of Critiques Online?
Critiques Online wants to enable photographers of all levels of experience to succeed in Print Competition. We want to create a place where photographers are comfortable getting the image critiques and feedback they need to progress and succeed. Critiques Online offers many affordable solutions

How do I get started?
If you've never entered print competition before, and are totally unfamiliar with the print competition process, start with reading our white papers in the “Resource” area of our website. Then start with your local Guild. Sadly, many photographers after entering their first time or two at their local guild, often become discouraged, not happy with how they did and not knowing where to turn for experienced advice. Not finding the advice and encouragement they need, they give up.

Others feel they are not ready for a public showing of their work at a print competition, or are afraid of what people would say. It can be a lot of pressure to put on themselves. Ordering a confidential critique from Critiques Online solves both of these problems.

Can't I just ask some Judges for advice?
Of course you can, but there's often a problem. If you have an image you'd like to enter into print competition, the best person to ask is often the judge or judges you've met at print competitions. If you show your image to the judge who will be judging the print competition, when it comes up, that judge will have to disqualify themselves because they know the maker. That's not good for you or for the judge. To eliminate that from happening, when you submit an image for a critique at Critiques Online, you remain anonymous - the judge does not know who the maker of the image is, so if your image does come up before that judge in print competition, there is no conflict. The judge may have seen the image before, but since they do not know the maker, they are free to evaluate the image based solely on its merits.

So Critiques Online is able to provide all photographers with a place to turn to for advice on understanding what they did "right" in their competition images as well as the areas they could improve upon, without any fear or concern they might cause a judge a disqualification. Critiques Online is a great solution!

Why are they called Judges?
All images in print competitions are evaluated by photographers that have gone through years of print competitions to attain their Masters Degree from the Professional Photographers of America ( PPA). Out of necessity, these people are called "Judges" - they do the best possible job of assessing an objective "Score" based on the well known Twelve Elements. Critiques Online's judges have achieved their degrees and certifications by going through this print competition process - they will help you successfully navigate your journey to making your work better.

Can't I just get my critiques from PPA?
The PPA does a great job at providing photographers with video critiques after District and IPC competitions. We can see that it has made a difference by the increase in the number of Merit quality images at the last IPC. But District and IPC each happen only once a year. Are you content waiting months between competitions to learn how your four images would do in competition? We think we all need more feedback than once or twice a year. This is why Critiques Online exists.

How do I learn to create Merit quaility images?
Creating "Merit" quality images, like many other skills, takes a lot of practice and hard work. You can take the journey alone, but we are sure that you will find that taking your journey with others will let you grow more and grow faster than taking it alone. With few exceptions great athletes don't become great through practice and hard work alone. They need a coach to get them headed in the best direction. That's what Critiques Online is dedicated to doing for you. Dale Carnegie said “It isn't Practice that makes Perfect, it's Perfect Practice that makes Perfect.” You need a coach, Critiques Online is here with experienced judges to make sure you get what you need to succeed

What if I am not ready for print competition and just want to know if my work is good enough to sell to clients? Of course, not everyone is ready for print competition, some photographers want to work on the technical skills required to pass their CPP Image review. Critiques Online can help. Other photographers may be just starting out and are unsure if their images are ready to be sold to clients - Critiques Online is here for you too.

I have a special request, can you help?
Whatever critique you need, we can do it for you, or we'll find someone than can.

Learn, grow and succeed with your photography and the help of Critiques Online.

Welcome to Critiques Online.