We constantly try to improve our workflow, invest in more advanced photo gear, and, in the end, take better photos. We read photography books, take classes, and try every tip we can find. When we are satisfied with our work or need feedback, we share our photos on social media or submit them to photo competitions. The results are often not as expected. Our photos don’t get enough attention, receive bad reviews, or fail to win any competition. Disheartened, we ask again: what makes a good photograph?
Intention
Good photos start with a narrative building up in the photographer’s conscious mind. Sometimes it goes as deep as the subconscious mind. It starts with why you want to take that photo and what you want to say to the public. If your photo manages to pack the message and correctly convey it to the public, it has the potential to be a good photo.
Keep in mind that a purposeful photo doesn’t necessarily rely on an interesting subject matter. Minimalist photographs are as good as news pictures. At the same time, an explicit narrative is no better than an abstract, lyric approach. Both novels and poetry have fans. So, don’t get caught in the means of conveying a message but take the time to build up an intention and pour your heart into your photographs.
Photo by Pree Bissessur on Unsplash
Balance
Balance refers to composition, the way you frame a photo and use relationships between elements to guide the viewer and showcase your intention. What makes a good photo is rhythm and harmony. The aim is to capture the viewer’s attention and keep them hooked to your photo, going from one element to another, revealing one layer of meaning after another.
Think about this. There are endless love poems and novels in the world. Why didn’t we get tired of listening to the same old love story over and over again? The answer is in the way they are composed. The balance of thrilling moments and serene episodes, variate characters and backgrounds, turns of action, rhythm, and atmosphere is what makes us intrigued by the same subject matter regardless of how well we know it.
Photo by Brandon Wong on Unsplash
Afterthought
A good photograph makes the viewer experience something. It may be a feeling, a thought, a question, a meditative state, a call to action, a lesson, and so on. The point is that after looking at a good photo the viewer remembers it, is influenced by it, and most likely will talk about it.
However, having an impact is not the same as offering an afterthought. Many photographers go for the shock factor, intending to impress the viewers with disturbing shots just to be noticed. In their trial, they are dishonest and lose the joy of the artistic process. Taking a good photograph is not about the result but about the heartfelt process of expressing yourself. Therefore, make your photos meaningful because you care about them and not because you want to impress the audience.
Photo by Willian Justen de Vasconcellos on Unsplash
Aesthetical Quality
Having storytelling abilities and good composition skills is not enough. The first eliminatory test a photo must take is aesthetical quality. There is no room for exposure mistakes, lack of focal point, noise, lack of sharpness and clarity, awkward contrast, and strange-looking colors. Even though it doesn’t matter what type of camera you use (e.g., an iPhone or a professional full-frame DSLR) or the focal length of your lens, the quality of your photos matters.
This doesn’t mean that you can’t take good photos with a less advanced camera or cheap lens. It just says that you must be careful not to exceed your gear’s capacity and get creative when your camera can’t help you any more (e.g., don’t exceed the optical zoom of your camera, don’t take photos in low light conditions or at night with a camera that can’t handle it, etc.).
Photo by Jeff Smith on Unsplash
Conclusion
To conclude, what makes a good photograph is the ability to convey a meaningful message packed in a high-quality image. Technical, composition, and storytelling skills are equally required. You won’t take a good photo just because you use professional gear just as you won’t take a good photo just because you have an interesting story to tell. Furthermore, without mastering the art of composition everything falls apart. What makes a good photograph is the sweat, tears, and blood of the photographer.