For a long time I was my worst critic. Everything I did was not good enough. Looking back at my images of the past I realized this was not the case. Being your worst critic is a trap that is all too easy to fall into. It is self defeating and counter productive.

  You want to be your “Best” critic. Make your self critique constructive. Figure out what it is you like about your image and what you could have done better. Approach the process with a positive attitude. This is what I have tried to do after realizing my counter productive attitude.

  As an example I have selected an image that I like but falls short on several points. I like the composition of this image and I was attracted to it by the range of color in the leaves from green to purple. The first thing I could have improved is the sharpness of the picture. I hand held the camera when I should have used a tripod. Always use a tripod or some sort of camera support. This is a rule that I, like many others, tend to forget. Secondly, the color of the leaves is washed out to some degree. There are several things I could have done to prevent this. The leaves had a shiny surface and the sun was reflecting off of them pretty harshly. I could have waited until this scene was lit by a more diffuse or indirect light. Another more practical solution would have been to use a polarizing filter. This would have increased the color saturation by eliminating the glare on the leaves.

  Ideally, you should take your critique and reshoot the image. This time take the time to correct the things you believe need correction. Be sure you critique this new image also. Put them side by side and review what you did and did not do to each image. I believe if you do this, your photography will grow by leaps.

  I went back to reshoot the example image here. Unfortunately, it was gone.