Reply To: The Kindness of Critique

[Hugh]

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My experience (both receiving and giving) is mixed. When confronted by a work that I think is wrong on many levels I usually try to escape the whole situation, as anything I say will sound (at least to my own ears) patronising at best or more likely just plain insulting: out of focus, flat light, no composition to speak of, ordinary and uninteresting subject, highlights burnt out … why are you even asking, just look yourself! (I wouldn’t say most of that, but what can one say? That leaf buried in the background is exposed quite nicely, if oof?).
On the other hand I’ve recently received a string of comments (unsolicited) along the lines of “normal photo of ‘X'”, when the subject (X) has been an everyday thing, but in my opinion and that of many others who have made extravagant (and also unsolicited) positive comments about the composition, lighting, dof etc, see the photo raised well above the ‘normal’ – unhelpful, not thoughtful, and seemingly blind to anything except the everyday nature of the subject.
A fraught area, to be trodden with extreme caution.