What Makes a Good Photo?
Or what makes a photo good?
Or both?
Like most people, I look at lots of photos every day. Some are mine and most are not. We all are exposed to a lot of photos nowadays…probably more than ever. I’m frequently trying to determine what constitutes a good photo, or an image that’s appealing to me. Not in a competitive or judgemental manner, but in an abstract sense. That is, what is it about a particular photo that may or may not stand out? It’s a difficult question since it’s one of those subjective things in our lives and what appeals to one person may not appeal to the next, of course.
However, I feel that we sometimes judge a photo on the basis of what the subject is rather than how the photo is composed, how it’s lit, the exposure, etc. How many times do we look at vacation photos of ours or from someone else and marvel at the scene rather than the way it’s photographed? It’s still worthy of the “Good Photo” praise, but is it because of what was photographed or how it was photographed? Hmmm…I often wonder.
For me, I try very hard to take a good photo, regardless of the subject matter. I don’t think it works out all the time, but I try. It’s sometimes frustrating because the elements don’t add up the way I’d like. That is, I can’t get to the right angle or time of day, or can’t get a highlight in the eye, or the shadow to fall just right, etc., etc. But, when I do, it’s a great feeling of satisfaction even though I don’t expect too many viewers to notice…but it’s what I like to do. It’s how I get my photo-satisfaction. It’s what makes photography challenging and fun for me….and for many others.
I suppose because many people know of my interest, I get asked frequently to judge or express an opinion about someone’s photo or group of photos. I find that particularly uncomfortable to do since I’m no judge! I just know what I like, what I’m striving for, and what appeals to me. My general feeling is that if someone got pleasure from taking a photo and also enjoys looking at it, it’s good. Maybe it’s not what I would have photographed or how I would have done it, but that doesn’t matter.
Anyways, we were at the City Winery in Chicago the other night to see Graham Nash of the Hollies (one of my all time favorite British Invasion bands), Crosby, Stills, and Nash (and Young, at times), and other groups. I happened to have my camera with me. (Actually, that’s a lie! I usually have my camera with me…haha) And it had a 90mm “fast” lens attached. By fast, it means that the lens has a wide aperture for capturing photos in low light. More importantly, we had good seats! I actually only took a few photos, relatively speaking, and tried to anticipate proper moments and postures during the performance. I particularly tried to have the microphone in the “right spot.” And, given that it was in an awkward lighting environment, I decided to shoot in b&W mode. By that, I set my camera up to shoot both b&w jpegs and color RAW files. Set up that way, the images in my viewfinder as I focused and composed were already black and white, which made it easier for me to visualize the final images.
So, I got these two photos which I liked very much…that’s the first criteria above (remember?). And I was happy with the dramatic lighting, the exposure, the expression and capture of the moment, the detail (in his hair), and the contrast from black to white…another criteria.
I looked at the photos and tried to “appraise them.” I asked myself if they were good photos or photos that were good because they were shots of Graham Nash. I deliberated over that for a long time…..
Then, I just determined I like ’em. And that’s good enough! So, I decided to post them and share them with you so that you can enjoy Graham Nash as we saw him.
Thanks for visiting!
-Stephen M. Levin
www.stephenmlevinphotos.com
A good photo for me is one that makes me feel something. The light, composition, etc is an afterthought… I would hope the images I make that resonate with some do so for the same reason. Because it made them feel something. And that could be as simple as… wow, I love that… or oh NICE. I think they are saying that makes me feel good. And I could not agree more, if you don’t like it, why proceed further? All that truly matters is that you like it. Furthermore, good light and composition and technique are important to the maker but not so much to the viewer unless they too are a photographer and interested in the how… enough of my 2 cents.. Love both images!
Glad you like both images, John! I seem to recall that music and musicians have a special appeal to you.
Always glad to see/read your comments. Especially with regard to your insights on the “philosophy” and creative process of photography. You have a lot of credibility on the subject.
Your two cents, or any amount, is always welcome here! Thanks.
Sweet!
Powerful, lighting just right to convey emotion… Nice capture!
Appreciated, of course, Marlan! Yes…I did feel that the light was very dramatic and appropriate. Glad that feature “shines through!”
B&W is a good choice. Especially with that silver hair. Your ‘good photo vs photo good’ headline brought to mind the quote by F. Scott Fitzgerald: “You don’t write because you want to say something, you write because you have something to say.” That always sounds more profound than it really is. But then writing’s a whole other ballgame. Photography has advantages, as you often demonstrate so nicely. Thanks.
I sometimes feel that you can’t go wrong with B&W. I’m not sure if that’s always the case with color. I felt the color in these images would have appeared over-saturated and taken away from the character of the images.
I guess it’s fair to say that F. Scott Fitzgerald had a way with words…spot on!
And, I certainly do feel that photography does have its advantages…at least as a creative outlet (and activity) for me!
Thanks, Mike.
These two photos capture the concert – Nash’s continuing passion for the music and his skill as a stage performer. Still looking pretty good in his 70’s – made all of us in the audience feel good too. I definitely prefer these in b&w to focus on the textures rather than the colors.
Yep…he’s always been a pretty cool guy, as were all the Hollies. Still seems that way. And a phenomenal songwriter/musician with his passion intact.
Black and white does seem to work with these type of concert photos, I think.
He also noted from the state that the City Winery (Chicago) is a fantastic music venue…I know we agree!
Many, Many, Many years ago when i was a young man, I took a workshop in Yosemite with Ansel Adams. To answer your question Stephen, I learned that an image has two parts. The first is the capture that must have impact,emotion, wow factor, and composition elements. I also learned it was more difficult in Black and White because you have no color to give an emotional impact. The second part of your question I learned has to do with what you do with the image once you created it. Ansel told us that The negative is the equivalent of the composer’s score, and the print the performance. In our digital world we deal with Pixels as the negative and post processing software as generating the print. Ansel to me was the “Master” on manipulation in the darkroom to create his print.
Both of your images meet the criteria of ” Your pixels are an outstanding score for your images and your print performance was exceptional.
So interesting to hear about your learning experience with Ansel Adams, Stan. Wow…what an impact that must have left on you. He was truly one of the Masters!
Thanks so much for sharing…and your kind words!
Ansel would have been proud of your work even though it was not Landscapes. You captured the essence of the performer and your tonality and manipulations was outstanding in both images.
That’s nice to imagine, Stan. And, thanks!
But, I’m just as happy to have your appreciation.
Though I still love them, how forgotten are the Hollies? All that seems so long ago – and it was long ago. But your photos give new life to Graham Nash. Do you think he dyes his hair? It looks to good to be true. (I myself have been favoring a grayish – blah dye.) I think it’s hard to be a certain age and look good while you’re performing. Since you made him look good, it’s a good photo.
I haven’t forgotten the Hollies. One of my favorites then and now. For some reason I never get tired of hearing a song by the Hollies.
Actually, he played a good mix of old and new and seemed VERY proud of his latest release, “This Path Tonight.” Quite good material. He’s a pretty progressive guy….one of the first to embrace digital photography. Watch this, if you’re interested: http://www.usatoday.com/videos/tech/2016/01/23/79223420/
I got the feeling that was his natural color…white and thick. Pretty cool guy!
Thanks for joining in, Dave!