Photo Reviews

A fresh take on feedback — supportive, insightful, and open to all members.

At the Saskatoon Photography Club, we believe every photographer grows through reflection, inspiration, and constructive feedback. That’s why we’ve evolved our Clinic Critiques into a more accessible and encouraging format we now call Photo Reviews.

Whether you’re new to photography or a seasoned pro, our Photo Reviews are your opportunity to:

  • Showcase your work
  • Hear what others appreciate about it
  • Receive helpful suggestions to improve
  • See how different people interpret and approach the same themes

These reviews are open to all club members, regardless of skill level. You’ll gain insights from a mix of peer feedback and experienced reviewers — all in a positive and supportive environment.

2025-2026 Photo Review Topics

The clinic provides a forum to have work evaluated and have constructive comments made.

Cityscape

Description:
Explore the personality of a city through your lens—whether it’s the energy of downtown at rush hour, serene reflections on a riverbank skyline, or the interplay of old and new architecture. Cityscapes may be captured by day or night, offering opportunities for dramatic lighting, leading lines, and contrast between urban elements and nature.

Inspiration:
A foggy skyline emerging at sunrise, neon lights illuminating rainy streets, or shadows cast by skyscrapers during golden hour.

SPC Rules & Reminders:

  • The primary subject must be an urban or suburban environment.
  • Images may include people, transportation, or nature, but the city itself should dominate the story.
  • Sky replacements are permitted, but the sky must be photographed by the maker.
  • AI-generated content is strictly prohibited.
  • File format: JPEG; minimum size: 1280×800; sRGB color space recommended.
  • Submission limit: 2 digital images

Submit: TBA
Critique Night: TBA


Headshots

Description:
A headshot is more than just a face—it’s a story told in a glance. Submit portraits that showcase a person’s essence, character, and emotion in a clean, focused composition. Only human headshots are permitted.

Inspiration:
Studio-lit professional headshots, candid expressions caught in natural light, or artistic black-and-white captures of raw emotion.

SPC Rules & Reminders:

  • Creative lighting and post-processing are allowed, but the image must retain a photographic origin.
  • Only one subject, shown from shoulders up.
  • Must be taken by the photographer submitting the image.
  • May be captured in studio or natural environments, but backgrounds should support—not distract from—the subject.
  • Submission limit: 2 digital images

Submit: TBA
Critique Night: TBA


How many photos can I submit?

You are allowed to enter a maximum of 2 digital images.

Your 2 entries can be Traditional (Color), or Monochrome, or Altered Reality. They both can be color, or both monochrome or both altered reality, or any combination of these three categories, your choice.

Digital Image Submissions

File Type

  • Images must be submitted as JPEGs. Mac users must add .jpg or .jpeg extension.

Method of Submission

  • Images can be uploaded via our Submissions Page no later than 10pm on the submission deadline date.
  • Remember that only club members can submit to any club competitions.

File Requirements

  • We strongly recommend that you send us your full resolution photo.
  • Images must be in the proper orientation for viewing when projected.
  • Images do not have to have a 4:3 aspect ratio.
  • We do not limit the file sizes when submitting

Minimum File Requirements for our Projector

  • The optimal viewing area is 1280 x 800 (width x height) per image
  • Vertical images have a minimum height of 800 pixels tall.
  • sRGB
  • Image submitted smaller than these resolutions will be shown at their submitted dimensions

How is your Photograph Critiqued?

The purpose of the clinic is to provide instruction through constructive critical comment and evaluation. Critiques are done in a general forum with constructive feedback. Members use the following criteria to critique the photos:

Members comment using 3 categories:

  1. Pictorial or Artistic Merit (IMPACT)
  2. Technical Skill
  3. Interpretation of Subject

Pictorial or Artistic Merit (IMPACT)

This is a measure of the SUCCESS of the COMPOSITION.

Factors include the “RULES OF COMPOSITION”:

  • Rule of Thirds
  • Balance
  • Lighting
  • Framing
  • Tonal Range and Texture
  • Pattern and Rhythm
  • Lead-in Lines

Technical

Here you measure the skills of:

  • Exposure
  • Depth of Field
  • Focus
  • Shutter Speed
  • Filters
  • Panning
  • Mounting, spotting (prints)

Interpretation

Here you evaluate how well the photographer interpreted the topic photographically.

  • Is the subject matter appropriate?
  • Has it been chosen carefully?
  • Has it been captured in an interesting way?
  • Does the subject communicate itself clearly without distraction?

Note: a TITLE may or may not assist in this process. It is only one factor to be considered.

(some titles are merely labels, and are therefore neutral).

Download the PDF of this information for reference