Cletus,
Maybe never having had the experience of having your work critiqued by another photographer causes you to overestimate its usefulness. Being a photographer, even a good one, doesn't necessarily make one an insightful critic, or an effective verbal communicator, both of which are required for a useful critique. I don't think any of us is as isolated as we might imagine. I lived in Idaho for most of my photographic life, with very little association with other photographers. I learned to seek out feedback from those I felt were in a position to offer something useful, and not just friendly encouragement. With very few exceptions, the most insightful and useful feedback I've received has been from non-photographers. Photographers rarely provide me any new insights or thoughtful commentary. Since moving to Seattle, I've been fortunate to meet many artists, working in all manner of media, as well as gallerists, curators, historians, and theorists. I think the value of the feedback one receives from anyone is proportional to one's ability to articulate one's artistic goals and objectives. If you don't know what you're trying to achieve, it's unrealistic to expect anyone else to offer you guidance. In the end, it's almost always to look within than to seek the approval of some luminary, real or imagined.
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