I should start yet another photo forum with the mission statement...
"Screw Art and Tech. Let's just have fun."
For me, I found that a good feedback (I refuse to say "critique") is only obtainable in a one on one interaction; preferably over a nice cold beer. Its such a subjective (sometimes emotional) thing and once you place it in the cold and distant internet, the focus is distracted.
I rarely post for C&C.... I usually just post photos up just for fun. There's another forum I post photos more frequently simply becuase its less active and the active members really just wanna have fun.
Critiques don't have to be these blunt, tough love talks. Critique doesn't mean
criticize as in being negative. But rather
'a critical analysis of one's work'--a thoughtful examination. I'm sure most of us do it with movies. But we all know some people who leave a theater and have
absolutely nothing to say about the film besides 'I liked it' or 'I didn't like it'. There is nothing wrong with that, but some people do enjoy discussing the movie. They are essentially critiquing the film.
If I say, "I liked the colors of the film" or "I liked the CGI fight with the dragon" that's half a step away from a critique statement. The next step is to ask yourself is
why? do you think that. Did the color's support the moods of the scenes? Did they use colors as symbolism? Why did it work? Where didn't it work? ...Did the battle scene with the dragon create a turning point in the story? Did it reveal aspects of the character through the fight? Or was it simply entertaining and well placed in the film's structure?
Most of the feedback I see on people's work is half a step away from a critique. They just need the
why? answered, and that will give the creator a better understanding of why the viewer thinks the way they do. It's not easy to talk about photography in this way, but it astounds me that it is almost non-existent on the multiple forums I have checked out.