Once a month, PACC organizes group critiques, alternating between

• “Print Salon” for printed images critique
• “Digital Conversation” for digital image critique

Check the Calendar of Events for dates and location of those meetings and for the respective image format (Print or Digital).

General format of the critique meetings

The Group Critique meetings are design to provide

• An opportunity for members to show images and work in progress and get feedback from other members
• An opportunity for members to learn directly from the makers through discussion
• An opportunity to practice and develop the ability to describe, question, analyses and appreciate images through language
• An opportunity to get to know better other members, especially new members

Members are encouraged to bring in images (prints or digital depending on the meeting) for informal critique by attending members. The goal is to both allow the maker to share more about the image than is possible at our competition evenings, and for those attending to provide constructive feedback and suggestions for possibly improving the image.

This is not for showing your best as in competitions, but for showing images that you like but are unsure of and wish input on. From past experience this type of interaction can be of value not only for the presenter but for others members who may have similar questions about their own images and how to improve them.

Each member is encouraged to bring 1 or 2 images (any category). Presenters will briefly (1-2 min.) state why they chose the subject, how they captured and edited it, and questions for which they wish help. With the help of moderators this will be followed by open discussion with members in the audience. Each image presentation will last about 5-10 minutes at the most, depending on the number of entries.

These images can be those previously entered in competition for which you wish another opinion, or new images.

Digital images may be brought to the meeting on either a CD or pocket USB drive. Use the same specs as for digital competition. To help us group images by makers, we ask participants to include the maker’s name in the first part of the file-name, followed by the title. For example: “smith_ImageTitle.jpg”. Plan to arrive early so our Digital Chair has time to enter the files on our laptop.

Print Salon vs. Digital Conversation

The critique events alternate between Prints and Digital images.

Once month the meeting focuses on Prints, while the following focuses on Digital images.

Check the Calendar of Events for dates and location of those meetings and for the respective image format (Print or Digital).

Print Salon

This is an opportunity to get feedback on printed images. It’s also an opportunity to learn more about what a printed image is all about and how it can serve your own photography intents.

Prints are displayed on tables and time is given for informal discussions and to look closely at the images. The core of the meeting is a facilitated/moderated discussion, image-per-image around the table mostly in a walk-through stand-up format. Each maker gets a fair amount of attention.

Any prints can be brought for discussion at the Print Salon. This ranges from small to large, mounted or non mounted, any subjects, beginner or advanced, low to high quality printout, any paper, etc

No need to sign-up, this is a walk-in prints event.

Digital Conversation

This is an opportunity to get feedback on images before being printed (or for those who don’t print their images).

Images can be brought on USB keys/memory sticks or CDs. They will be projected using the Club laptop and HD projector. Members are sitting in the room, facing the projection screen.

The meeting is facilitated/moderated one image at a time, giving a chance for the maker to present the image, and for members to discuss the image and provide feedback.

Although the image format is pretty flexible, it’s best for the maker to follow the Digital Image format used for the Digital competition.

No need to sign-up, this is a walk-in digital image event.

Questions and suggestions are welcome.