How to Use Self-Evaluation to Become a Better Photographer

When we’re getting better at photography, we usually turn to external sources for feedback. It’s not wrong to ask others for their opinion, but other people aren’t always available. And let’s be honest, they aren’t always knowledgeable either.

So what do you do? One word with a little connector: self-evaluation.

When asking for feedback online, it’s incredibly hard to get actual, valuable critique. Unless you have a mentor who genuinely wants to guide you along the way, there is no real connection between your photography and the person critiquing your work.

Often, someone might say that you should’ve used different settings. Or a different lens. Or a different angle.

Which can be acceptable. But usually, this is just based on their personal preferences or what they read online about the “perfect” settings for technically sound photos. Facebook groups are the worst places for this kind of feedback. You end up with someone telling you that you should’ve used a different lens because they once read some blablabla word-vomit. 

The only result is you hating your photo because of errors a stranger had to point out to you.

Sure, it’s best to keep your ISO low, set your shutter speed to twice your focal length, and be mindful of your aperture. Yet, sometimes you just have to bump up the ISO to capture the moment. Or go for a more prolonged exposure than you are comfortable with.

That’s photography. It’s knowing your settings and how to adapt them to get the shot, even if that means making a compromise. And those compromises are hard to convey when someone giving you feedback wasn’t there at the shoot.

Why are you your own best critic

How do you get actual feedback? It’s closer than you think, because it’s you.

You can and should be your own best critic. Critics give you more than just a comment about what you did wrong and should do better; they also tell you what you did right and should keep doing.

You are the person who did the shoot. You know the circumstances. You know what worked against you, and you know what worked with you. That’s exactly why I prefer doing self-evaluation over asking for feedback.

Of course, it’s always a good idea to ask other people for feedback too. Just be sure you ask the right people.

How to evaluate a photograph: my step-by-step routine

How do you self-evaluate as a photographer? It’s really not that hard.

Every Friday, I have a reminder on my phone to sit down and do my evaluation. The review is super simple. In a document, I list all the shoots I did that week in chronological order.

I pull up the photos, look at them critically, and write down the shoot date and a short title. It can be anything from “12/07 France holiday” to “12/12 Client A”. It’s just a brief description, so I know what it’s about when I look back at it weeks or months later.

Then, under every title, I create three simple subtitles:

1. What did I do well?
2. What did I do wrong?
3. What should I take away from this?

The feedback you write can be as long or as short as you want. Usually, mine are relatively straightforward, especially the takeaway section.

For good feedback, I write things like:

• Shot X was an awesome idea.
• Really nailed the editing on photo B.
• Gave the client great direction during photos A to H.
• Love the direction of the lighting.
• Good use of masking in Lightroom.

For bad feedback, I write something like:

• Should’ve tried more angles from subject A.
• Instructions were unclear; I should have asked the client for clarification.
• Photos A and B feel too rushed.
• Photo C was probably more interesting with a 50mm lens rather than a 35mm (too shallow a depth of field).

At this point, I know what I did well and what I did poorly. Most photographers keep it at that and don’t investigate further. But for me, the most important part is the next step.

Takeaways:

• Use lighting setup A more often in situation B.
• Learn more about bounce flash.
• Experiment with HDR more.
• Research mild jokes that make people laugh naturally in front of the camera.

You can then write these takeaways in a notebook you review before your next couple of shoots, or make actionable items in your to-do list.

The 4 pillars to focus on when you evaluate photos

If you are staring at your screen, wondering exactly what to look for during your Friday review, break your images down into these four core pillars. This will stop you from just saying “I like this” or “I don’t like this” and force you to look at the image’s mechanics.

1. Composition and framing

Did you follow the rule of thirds, or did you intentionally break it for a better result? Did you use natural elements to create a frame-in-a-frame? Look at the edges of your photo: are there distracting elements creeping into the frame that you could have avoided by taking one step to the left?

2. Lighting

Photography is literally painting with light. Evaluate the direction, quality, and color of the light. Was the mid-day sun too harsh on your subject’s face? Did you use the available street lights in Antwerp effectively for your night street photography? Pinpoint exactly what the light is doing to your subject.

3. Technical execution

This is where you look at the metadata. Was your shutter speed fast enough to freeze the action at that corporate event? Did you miss focus because your aperture was unnecessarily wide? Analyze your exposure triangle and see if your technical choices supported the final image.

4. Storytelling and emotion

This is the most subjective but arguably the most important pillar. Does the photo make you feel anything? Does it tell a story? In street photography, a technically perfect shot of a boring scene is still a boring photo. Assess whether you captured a genuine moment or if the image falls flat emotionally.

Photography evaluation examples

To make this practical, let’s look at how to evaluate photos with a few real-world examples.

Example 1: Street event scene

• Positive: Well timed, looked for a good subject to capture
• Negative: I should’ve gone a bit more back to allow for more context of the man in the foreground framing the image. Perhaps have his shoes in the frame too.
• Takeaway: Dare to go close, but leave enough room for context too. It’s easier to crop in if necessary.

Example 2: blue-cheeked bee-eater (wildlife photography)

• Positive: Well done using a more extreme composition
• Negative: Maybe the editing is too flat?
• Takeaway: Research more wildlife (specifically bird) photography and look at the editing.

Example 3: corporate group photo

• Positive: Well done on the edit and composite
• Negative: Think about the composition and balancing of the frame more
• Takeaway: Research more complex group photo compositions

Turn your self-feedback into action

This way of working helps you gather your thoughts and transform them into concrete, actionable steps. Instead of relying on random internet comments that don’t understand your context, you are building a tailored roadmap for your own progression.

Start evaluating your own work systematically. By building this habit, you won’t just get better at self-evaluating; you will actively become a much better photographer.