Lighting — 20% of your score
Lighting: the difference between a snapshot and a photograph
Lighting also carries 20%. Almost every photo that feels flat is a lighting problem before it is a gear problem, and it is the category where deliberate practice pays back fastest.
What REVIEWR grades here
- Direction of the light and what it does to the subject's form
- Quality — hard or soft — and whether it suits the subject
- Exposure decisions, not just correct exposure
- Highlight retention and shadow detail
- Contrast as a storytelling tool
What strong work looks like
- You can tell where the light is coming from without being told
- Shadows shape the subject instead of hiding it
- Highlights hold detail where detail matters
- The light matches the mood the photo is going for
What costs you points
- Flat frontal light that removes all depth
- Blown highlights in the brightest part of the subject
- Mixed colour temperatures fighting each other
- Waiting for good weather instead of good light
This week's drill
Photograph the same subject at three times in one day: mid-morning, late afternoon and just after sunset. Do not edit. Compare the three and note which one you would have skipped shooting — and why you were wrong.
Check your lighting score
Submit a photo and see exactly where this category lands, with the written reasoning behind the number. Free, no payment method required.
Start critiquing — 100% freeLast updated: 3 August 2026 · Written by Deni Dedic, photographer and founder of REVIEWR
The other categories
Composition 20%
Composition is the single fastest thing to improve, which is why it carries 20% of your REVIEWR score. It is not about rules — it is about controlling where a viewer looks first, second and last.
Creativity 20%
Creativity is worth 20% because a technically perfect photo of nothing is still a photo of nothing. This category rewards the decision you made that nobody else would have made.
Color & Tone 15%
Colour and tone carry 15%. This is where most edits go wrong: the photo is fine and then the grade fights it.
Story & Mood 15%
Story and mood carry 15%. It is the category that separates a competent frame from one people remember.
Technical Quality 10%
Technical quality is only 10% of your score. Sharpness matters, but a razor-sharp photo of a boring subject should never outrank a slightly soft photo with a real idea — so the rubric weights it accordingly.