Professional Critique Services

One of the most informative learning experiences we can have as photographers is to have someone else, another professional, look at our work and provide honest, helpful, detailed feedback about our progress with the technique and art of photography.

We have been approached many times by workshop participants who wish to have their work critiqued, and we are pleased to make this service available when our schedule and yours coincides. This can occur in one of four ways.

First, if you are a participant in any of our weekend or longer workshops where we have a motel room to sit down together, we will gladly look at one page of up to 20 transparencies or up to 20 digital images in a digital contact sheet. We’ll provide a few thoughts and give you an overall statement at an appropriate time during workshop breaks. We can’t go into a great deal of detail or discuss each image separately because this will take time from the workshop. This is a quick 5-minute check on your photographic progress, and it allows you to keep moving in your chosen direction. This brief critique is helpful to us, too, because we can see what progress you’ve made since the last time we were in the field together.

The second option occurs when you participate in a workshop that features a critique as part of the class. One example is the composition class. This class includes a critique of 2-4 images from each student’s work during the final phase of the class. Such a class will have the designation "group critique" in the class description. We have observed that all members of the workshop gain valuable insights into photographic composition by viewing the work of others and hearing them describe their goals and problems.

The third option is to select a class that has a designation "individual critique". These critiques last up to 10 minutes and can be found only among the smaller, private classes sponsored by Summit Photographic Workshops.

The fourth option you may choose involves making an appointment with one of us to give you a one-on-one critique of your work. This private, detailed critique is the only way we can guarantee you the feedback you need on a personal level. We know some photographers might wish to make use of email or regular mail for their critique, but we believe the lack of face-to-face contact means you lose the detailed feedback you deserve. You can arrange to have such a critique if your schedule and ours coincide in the Scotts Valley area, just outside of Santa Cruz, CA. You might also arrange a time for a private critique at the end of the day during a multi-day workshop.

We believe we each have valuable insights that would aid your photography, and you may schedule a critique with either of us. Because of the greater depth and experience of Barbara’s career, her fee is $200.00 per hour, with a one-hour minimum. Allen’s fee for a critique is $150.00 per hour, with a one-hour minimum. Additional time may be scheduled in ¼ hour increments.

 We know the time you schedule for a personal critique will be valuable to your growth as a photographer, and we know you’ll realize the value of the shared experience we’ll provide to you.