In order to move beyond this lame cycle, I am working on a definition of what I think constitutes a "good" photo so that I can move my lazy self in that direction. Here is what I have come up with so far:
"A good photo is one which represents a moments in time, in a way that is interesting, compelling or beautiful to the photographer and/or the viewer, and does not contain anything which would distract most viewers from focusing on the main point or feeling of the picture."
If I have my lighting just right, my exposure and composition dialed in and the subject just how I want them, so what if their eyes are only 3/4 of the way open? Everything else was fine. And maybe that kind of picture IS fine for me and mine, maybe we don't care about that kind of thing. But if I plan on putting myself forward as a pro, EVERYTHING about a finished image has to be good. One wrong element will direct the discerning eye away from the intended focal point and dash all hope for a good image. Last night, I got out some prints of family and senior shoots that my wife did before we went digital. And it was kind of funny, but also kind of sobering to see the types of basic errors she was making just three or four years ago on nearly every picture.
Good photography takes the intuition and focus of a Zen gardener or a Shaker craftsman, and that level of operation only comes with experience. I have complained about not having much time to polish my skills. In order to get the job done, I am in the process of organizing a list of the disciplines I need to work on.
Next post-Basic things that every photographer must control before any great picture can be taken.
I'll be the zen gardener and you can be the shaker craftsmen :-)
ReplyDeleteSo, since I was awake at 4:00 this morning and totally unable to sleep, I did what any rational person would do at that hour. Laid in my recliner and contemplated my friend Jeremy's photography blog.
ReplyDeleteI, being able to ~most of the time~ get a person reasonably centered in the photograph without cutting off some essential body part, greatly appreciates the skill of a photographer. So, as I lay wide awake this morning, I came up with a definition of what makes a good photograph from a consumer-who-is-photo-challenged's point of view:
"A good photographer provides pictures which capture the moment in time in such a way that to look at the picture later is to relive the memory, and all the emotion that goes with it. A good photographer uses his or her skill to link the memory to photopaper via his/her camera."
If I get more sleep, I'll offer less advice on your blog. If I don't start sleeping, it's entirely possible I'll be back with more deep and meaningful insights at some point in the future. :-)