Here is a partial list of common factors that seasoned and professional photography critics look for (or see without even looking for) when viewing photographs. I will have to say that many professional photographers are quite anal retentive when critiquing photos, but hey… I don't make up the rules and I don't always agree with them 100% of the time, but here they are:
1) In scenic shots, the horizon is perfectly centered in the screen. I've heard several professional photographers talking about this (while rolling their eyes). For some reason, most of us tend to want to center the horizon, but in reality there is really nothing that interesting about the horizon itself. There are a few exceptions, but in the vast majority of shots either the sky or the landscape draws more interest.
2) Your subject is perfectly centered in the photo. Professional photographers will tell you that such photos are boring. They may be appropriate for product shots and engineering demonstrations, but not for artistic photographs. Learn the rule of thirds. This applies to #1 as well.
3) The subject is blurry. There are several reasons why a photo might be blurry. On of the most common reasons is because it is not perfectly in focus. The other is that your subject (or the photographer) moved when using a slow shutter speed. Not knowing what shutter speed means is a definite sign you are an amateur. Sometimes, your auto-focus keys in on something other than the main subject. This is bad. Professionals know how to focus their subjects - tack sharp.
4) The photo is not level. If there is a sharp horizon in your photo and it is not aligned with that horizon or if there are vertical indicators such as trees, walls, window sills or doors or other known objects that are level or plumb but there is a even a degree or two of discrepancy between your picture and those, then your picture is not level… and it will bug the heck out of photo critics.
5) Your subject is too far away… sometimes even lost in the scenery. Take a look at just about any professional photograph and you will see that the subject is almost invariably very close. The amateur mind tries to get too much in the photo… too much scenery or too many other people or whatever, in the attempt to try to tell a better story but the opposite effect happens - the viewer is confused as to what the story actually is when there is too much going on
6) Your photo does not tell a story. A good photograph tells a story. The viewer can look at it and describe what is going on or what message it is trying to convey. With the exception of certain portraits and model photos (and even then, in such events, your photos can really come alive when there is a theme or story), photographs are pretty much meaningless or confusing without something that the viewer can describe. Photos of people just standing or sitting there do not convey a very strong message.
7) The white balance is off-kilter. There are two extremes in white balance. On the "cold" side, the photos are too blue. On the "hot" side, the photos are too yellow, red or orange. Professional photographers know how to adjust the white balance to compensate, especially in difficult lighting situations. Many pros shoot in RAW and then can have the option to adjust the white balance in Photoshop. There are ways to color correct when shot in JPEG, but you can get more accurate results by adjusting a RAW photo.
8) Quantity of photos vs. quality. It is probably a common belief among amateurs that out of hundreds (or thousands) of snapshots, you will probably get a few that "turn out right." Photography is an art that requires paying attention to detail, a knowledge of technical aspects of the camera and the scene being shot as well as tactical skills. I'm sure the amateur method works out for some people sometimes, but wouldn't you rather know how to work with your camera, your lighting, your subjects and the scene rather than just guessing and hoping for the best?
9) Equipment. I've seen some surprisingly good photos taken on sub-par cameras (phone cameras and point-and-shoot cameras). Many of these are by accident, but even pros will often carry an "amateur" camera with them… but knowing how to get the optimal photo from even poor quality equipment can make all the difference in the world. On the other hand, believing that you can get a professional quality photo from a low quality instrument is pure fantasy.
10) All the photos are shot in an automatic setting. I think it's funny to see amateurs out there with a $2000 camera, afraid to explore any other settings besides automatic. Just reading the manual would benefit the user a great deal. That's one of the first things I recommend to anyone who has gotten a new piece of equipment.
11) Misuse of the flash. When the subject is too close, too far away or when a flash is not necessary. Some people are not even aware that their flash is on nor do they know how to disable it. A pop-up or built-in flash is almost never used or necessary on a professional camera. Some higher-end cameras do not even have built-in flash units because professionals use off-camera (hot-shoe mounted) flash units or other external lighting.
12) The lighting is all wrong. Photography is all about light and when the lighting is ideal then that makes for ideal photographs (provided that other elements are also added). When the lighting is wrong, it makes for amateur photographs. Many amateurs shoot in the middle of a sunny day. After all, isn't that when you have the most light? Too much of a good thing is bad though - it is bright and it is stark and there is only so much you can do in Photoshop. One can write an entire volume on proper lighting, but suffice it to say that an amateur photograph with poor lighting (when lighting could have been better) is easy to spot and oftentimes the mistakes are easy to remedy by making some minor adjustments.
Well, there you have it. I'm sure there are more that I can come up with, but this will give you some things to work on. These are by no means an instruction guide… just a few indicators. Entire chapters - or books - can be written on each of these subjects. Once you are aware of what is going on, you will be able to see what I am talking about too… and become a photo critic yourself!
