Critique: Harsh or Helpful?

From a critique I wrote recently:

"Snapshot, out of focus, looking down, distracting background elements, and the light is not controlled nor flattering.

Even a camera mounted flash would have opened the shadows on her face a bit. She is not engaging the camera, instead she is looking down. The portion of an arm above / right, the torso to the left, the concrete and siding behind her all detract from the subject.

It sounds harsh, but understanding what you see when you take a photo helps to realize a better result. I have learned a lot by dissecting my blunders. It helps me to build a mental checklist to use while shooting, and even more, to have concepts to think about before picking up a camera.

FWIW, it's possible to develop a style that capitalizes on things that some/many consider wrong/errors, but that takes a certain mastery or natural talent not everyone has. I've been trying to sell the notion that my biggest mistakes should be in museums for year -- no takers."

It's hard to listen to a listing of the problems with a piece of work and walk away as a better artist.