Meet and Critique

Instructor: Roy Sewall
January 11

Join Professional Photographer and Judge, Roy Sewall for a meet and critique photo session. Roy will critique the photos using the same criteria he uses as a frequent photography judge, but will go into much greater depth than a competition would allow.

 Course Material and Live Session on January 11 from 7pm - 9pm via Zoom.

This course is designed for the intermediate level photographer. Knowledge of editing software (Lightroom, Photoshop, On-One, etc) is recommended.

This Critique course is about the photographs themselves – the results - not about how to use equipment and software. Roy will critique the photos using the same criteria he uses as a frequent photography judge, but will go into much greater depth than a competition would allow.

He’ll give specific recommendations on how to strengthen the photos, such as how to adjust the processing (“crop here,” "tone down this area,") to solve problems that are found, and/or how to re-shoot if appropriate. (He won’t be giving any Lightroom or Photoshop instruction.)

Roy will be frank, honest, and constructive. He is an experienced judge but that doesn’t mean he is always “right” or that you should necessarily agree with him all the time. We’ve each got to find our own way.

This is not a competition, the images you submit don’t have to be the very best you can do. They should be photos that you feel pretty good about, with some diversity in subject material, and they should fairly represent where you are with your photography.

This will be a small-group course of 8 people.
Each participant will have 5 photos reviewed and critiqued by the instructor.
It’s very helpful to hear about how you can improve your own images but also to see and hear about other’s images as well.

Required Gear

What materials will you need for this class?

A computer or tablet for the live session
5 images that you will submit prior to the course start date.
Highly recommended that students have previously taken the course Take Your Photography To The Next Level

What People Are Saying About This Course

"I found the comments made about my submitted photographs very helpful, and I found them greatly improved when I re-edited them incorporating the suggestions Roy made. I also learned new ideas and techniques from the comments he made about photographs others in the group had submitted."

"I loved this course and found it so helpful. Roy did a great job reviewing the images in a constructive and supportive way."

"Roy was excellent and made some great critiques on our photos. I was worried he was going to be harsh, but he did a great job of finding something to complement in each photo in addition to the helpful constructive criticism. Roy definitely knows his stuff and I appreciated his expertise and critical eye. (Asking a significant other or friend if they like a photo just isn't the same.) I REALLY got a lot out of this course."

"Roy started the class with explaining his 3 tiers of analysis and he was great about threading those concepts through the 2 hours. The pacing of his class was good and I especially appreciated the positive, yet honest critiques of each maker's images. I enjoyed the class and came away having learned a few things too. This was a nice way to connect with Roy and fellow classmates through the love of photography during this time of isolation."

"Roy's critiques, comments, editing suggestions were spot on, especially for my photography. Roy was very personable and his critiques were to the point without leaving me feeling "beaten up!" I have been looking for solid, honest feedback and found it with this course."

Capital Photography Center Instructor

Instructor Roy Sewall

Roy enjoys working with novice and intermediate photographers alike and finds great pleasure helping them develop their eye and their photographic skills.
His interest in photography evolved from extensive travel in six continents during his youth. In 2001 he started his transition to full-time photographer following his rewarding 30+ year career working for several major technology corporations in the Washington, DC area.
Roy has published two photography books, Our Potomac, from Great Falls through Washington, D.C., in 2005 and Great Falls and Mather Gorge in 2009. These were inspired by his affection for hiking and bicycling along the river and the adjacent Chesapeake and Ohio (C&O) Canal. His books led to numerous speaking engagements and established him as one of the leading photographers of the Potomac River and C&O Canal.
He has been a guest on WETA’s TV program Great Views of Washington D.C., the lead photographer in the Best of D.C. 2009 publication, in feature articles in the D.C. and Virginia Where Guestbooks, the lead still-photographer in The Nature Conservancy’s 2011 video The Potomac Gorge, and is sought after in many well-known photo competitions for his judging skills.
More about Roy can be found on his website, www.roysewallphotography.com