This is a topic in which everyone has an opinion. A good photograph can be technically perfect. Proper exposure, composition and post processing are critical components to a good photograph. What really makes a photograph special is how it makes you feel. What do you feel when you look at an image? It can make you feel happy or sad. It can be calming or exciting. But ultimately you must feel something or it fails. 

To say something a photograph doesn't have to be of a moment or person. It doesn't need to be composed of abject poverty or depicting war-torn Countries. It can be a bowl of fruit or even a flower bud. But why do some photos of flower buds and fruit make you feel while others just don't? That would be the artist behind the image. The person looking through the viewfinder who has relinquished themselves to what is visible. They see something that makes them feel. Now they must frame it in a way that you the viewer understand and can feel as well. 

You can get a photography degree, take random classes or seminars aimed at teaching you how to use your camera. Some even teach you have to creatively think. All are great ways to become a better photographer or understand why you like some photos and not others. But there is this one wee little thing you don't think about. Its the mind of the photographer. 

Each photographer you meet will have a different vision of the same scene or object. It may elicit strong feelings that are polar opposites But to each one who lifts their camera to capture it they see something that moves them. The greats are the ones whose photographs reach you emotionally. When you look at their photographs you can for a brief moment touch or feel that moment. And you can tell the difference between real vs. manufactured moments. Not that either is better than the other, just different. 

There are several components that comprise a good, actually great photograph. 

1.   technical acumen. the ability to capture what one sees properly, no matter the conditions, to enable them to complete the vision through editing and post processing.

2.   creative eye. seeing something for what it is or what it can be and then portraying that vision to the audience again through editing.

There is one more component that is rarely discussed. And that is connection. There absolutely must be a connection between the subject/scene and the photographer. Not necessarily physical, but more metaphysical in a way. One must be able to shut out the noise without losing touch with it to be able to fully connect to the subject in the frame and capture it at just the right split second. Its anticipating, knowing when the moment arrives to press the shutter button. I have found the way to be in tune to your subject is to be a great observer. 

All my life I have been an observer. Watching people and their actions, reactions. Just simply observing. After awhile it becomes second nature. Often it is not hard to predict when a 'moment' is going to occur. Whether it is watching the light, weather or just the subject most of the time we can capture those. The hard ones are the unexpected. It goes back to being able to shut out the extraenous noise yet still be aware as it comes into play. Which it does often. Being great at observation is a gift and learning how to be that takes some time, patience and a true love of the craft.

To sum it up, we all know technical ability and a creative eye are essential to a good photograph. But what makes one exceptional or great is the connection. Next time you see a photograph that makes you stop and really look you will know why. Its not filters or fancy camera angles. It is the connection you feel because the photographer got it right.

Here are a few photos I think fit the description of a good photograph. Call me for your photography needs. 504-920-8703