Join the Dodge & Burn Photography Critique Group

Join the Dodge & Burn Photography Critique Group



Are you a photographer looking for feedback on your work? Come and join our  critique group hosted very month on Zoom.

UPDATED: October 13, 2020

What is the D&B photography critique group?

The Dodge & Burn Photography Critique Group was formed in 2014 to provide MFA graduates and self-taught photo-based artists of any age a safe community to discuss their work and benefit from culturally competent, constructive criticism.  

Aligned with the founding mission of the Dodge & Burn blog to the decolonization of Photography, this critique group is committed to centering photographers who are Black, indigenous, people of color (BIPOC) by providing a supportive space to discuss social and personal issues around race, gender, identity, class, and queerness as/if expressed in their work.

Attendance is not exclusive to photographers of color, and those who identify otherwise are welcome to join as long they communicate and act respectfully. This dynamic is unique to the D&B crit group, as there are few art spaces where these crucial conversations can be had.

Sign up to receive email reminders about upcoming critiques.

What it is NOT.

The critique group is not a debate session. Respect is mandatory and abusive behavior will not be tolerated. Participants are expected to critique the work, not the artist. We have maintained consistently engaging sessions by prioritizing asking positive questions, listening without interruptions, keeping an open mind without defensiveness and taking in what is shared as  suggestions for improvement.

Rocio De Alba gets her work critiqued.

How does the critique group work?

A core group of 5-7 attendees attend the critiques regularly and invite participants upon the approval of the host. Monthly critiques function as active discussions  addressing form and content, considering the work(s) of art in and of themselves, and within the context of issues as expressed by the artist. Each artist gets 20-30 minutes of critique time and therefore should come prepared with at least 2 (or more) images/pieces of recent work to discuss. 

At in-person critiques, artists arrive 15 minutes early to hang their work on the provided wall space, tape and/or thumbtacks are also provided. Digital images can be projected if work is too large to transport as long as artists bring files on their own USB/memory stick or are able to show their work online. At virtual critiques, artists should prepare their work as a PDF or video file(s) saved to their computer, which they then share (their screen) with the group via Zoom.

Sign up to receive email reminders about upcoming critiques.

NOTE: During this COVID-19 pandemic, the group is only meeting virtually.

The Dodge & Burn Photography Critique Meets on Zoom

Artists can choose to begin by giving a brief statement about the work for context, express any challenges they are having in completing the work, or say nothing at all. The discussion will cover the technical and/or expressive qualities of the work, subject matter, construction and planning, points of emphasis, relationships between subjects (if present), analogies or metaphors, and historical or contemporary references specific to the work shown and medium used. 

By functioning as a supportive and consistent environment for creative feedback, the Dodge & Burn Photography Critique Group has seen the development and subsequent “launch” of several bodies of work, photo books, installations, and short films.

When do the critiques happen?

NOTE: New Day & Time! Critiques are now held monthly on Fridays from 7-9pm EST, with occasional holiday breaks when needed. 

To diversify the type of criticism, we are looking for more photographers, artists of other mediums, writers, curators and other art professionals to join. So if you’re interested in joining, please sign up to receive email notifications about the next critique.
 
We hope to see you at our next critique!
Sign up to receive email reminders about upcoming critiques.
TOP IMAGE: Hernease Davis shows her fiber art and photography during a critique.

_________________________________________________________________________________

Dodge & Burn is a blog dedicated to documenting a more inclusive history of photography and supporting the work of BIPOC lens-based artists with photographer interviews.

This blog is published by visual artist and writer, Qiana Mestrich. For regular updates on diversity in photography history, follow Qiana on Twitter @mestrich, Like the Dodge & Burn Blog page on Facebook or subscribe to Dodge & Burn by email.

+ There are no comments

Add yours