tomcat

It comes up from time to time when we UHH'ers post an image and ask for comments. These are considered the most important elements of a well-thought out plan and final presentation for an award winning image from the Professional Photographers of America:


The 12 Elements of a Merit Image are:

IMPACT
Viewing an image for the first time always evokes some kind of feeling. Sometimes they can make us sad, happy or angry. Sometimes they force us to look inward at ourselves.

That’s called an impact, and the more powerful the image, the more powerful the emotional response of the viewer.

TECHNICAL EXCELLENCE
This is the print quality of the actual image itself as it’s presented for viewing. There are a lot of aspects that speak to the qualities of the physical print. These can include:

Retouching
Manipulation
Sharpness
Exposure
Printing
Mounting
Color correction

CREATIVITY
Your point of view is exactly that– yours. And it’s unlike anyone else’s.

This element speaks directly to that perspective. It shows your imagination and how you used the medium to convey an idea, a message or a thought to the viewer. This is how you differentiate yourself from others.

STYLE
There are many, many ways to apply this element to your work. Maybe you use light in a specific way on a subject, or maybe you make a technical decision for the express purpose of underscoring desired impact.

When subject matter and style come together in an appropriate manner, the effects on an image can be spectacular. But remember, when subject matter and style don’t work together, the results can be, well, less-than-spectacular.

COMPOSITION
When all the visual elements of an image come together to express intent, that’s when the magic of composition happens. Good composition captures a viewer’s attention and directs it where you, the artist, want it to be. Depending on your intent, you can make something that pleases the viewer– or disturbs them.

PRESENTATION
How you showcase an image is just as important as how you compose it. Everything in the presentation should work to enhance your image and not distract from it. Keep this in mind when choosing mats, borders and everything in between.

COLOR BALANCE
Proper color balance can bring a sense of harmony to an image. When the tones all work together to support an image, the emotional appeal is that much greater.

But color balance doesn’t have to be used to bring harmony to an image. You can use color balance to evoke any number of feelings from a viewer. The choice in how to take advantage is entirely up to you, but no matter what, be sure your choice enhances rather than distracts.

CENTER OF INTEREST
This is where an image’s creator wants a viewer’s attention focused. Sometimes there can be a primary and a secondary center of interest. Sometimes everything in an image will work together to create that center of interest.

LIGHTING
The use and control of light has an effect on every aspect of an image. It informs dimensions and shape, it sets tone and mood, and, like every other technique, proper lighting can be used to enhance your image while improper lighting can detract from it.

SUBJECT MATTER
Even though it lacks words, your image is still telling a story, and your subject matter is central to that. So make sure that your subject matter is right for the story that you’re trying to tell.

TECHNIQUE
How you choose to execute your image is key. It’s also a holistic decision. Technique informs everything in the creation of your image. From lighting and posing to printing and presentation, it all works to show off the techniques that you’ve mastered and applied to your craft.

STORY TELLING
What does your image evoke in a viewer’s imagination? What do you want your image to evoke in a viewer’s imagination?

Keep in mind: You are creating art. And while the act of creating is a personal thing, so too is the act of viewing. Your image is a story, and the one it tells your viewer may be one you never knew you were telling.

rjaywallace Loc: Wisconsin

I naturally keep many of these attributes in mind when I create an image, however I do not follow someone else’s checklist every time I press the shutter. I refuse to submit to the dictates of the PPA “Merit Police”. Others are free to like my images or not, and so am I.

ricardo7 Loc: Washington, DC - Santiago, Chile

12 ways to help you make your pictures look just like everyone else's.

mizzee Loc: Boston,Ma

Wow! I found the list to be good food for thought, not an rx. I appreciate this post.

srt101fan

Now, now, Ricardo, I don't see this as a cookie-cutter recipe at all. All the elements leave room for plenty of variety in execution. Simply a list of things to consider.

ricardo7 Loc: Washington, DC - Santiago, Chile

Just some thoughts:

Consulting the rules of composition before taking a photograph is like consulting the laws of gravity before going for a walk. - Edward Weston

I usually have an immediate recognition of the potential image, and I have found that too much concern about matters such as conventional composition may take the edge off the first inclusive reaction. - Ansel Adams

duane klipping Loc: Bristow iowa

Rich1939 Loc: Pike County Penna.

I don't know who first instituted "story telling' as a criteria for a good photograph, but it is something I have a problem with. A well done image (photograph or otherwise) does not have to tell a story!
There are fart too many excellent examples that are just good work.

tomcat

Thank you, mizzee. That's all it was intended to be. Food for thought and to let others know that there is a pattern to creating a piece of art--not the spray and pray approach. Trying to follow all 12 of these rules is like trying to hit a golf ball using all the arm swing quirks and hip shift and keeping your head down. For those that want to be a professional golfer and make the big bucks you learn the proper way to swing and do. For the rest of us duffers, we keep hacking away and every once in a while create a piece of art that someone else MIGHT want, lol...

For the remainder of the UHH group, I've already seen enough of the grumpy comments, so don't add to the group if you don't appreciate what I listed earlier. You demean yourself and only add to your reputation as a grouse...... Go join the pc vs mac discussion

Rich1939 Loc: Pike County Penna.

Darn, I never considered myself as a grump. However it seems that a different point of view is 'grumpy' so, I guess that I qualify

tomcat

Nah, you're not a grump. A varying opinion is ok and well-received and your points are valid. I relate this earlier posting of the 12 Rules to a story my boss told me years ago about a chicken farmer that showed his flock an ostrich egg. His comment to his hens was "Ladies, I'm not asking you to do anything impossible or difficult or a lot of work. I just wanted you to see what others are doing".

The best merits I got when I was a pro were those green kind........ The only problem was that I wasn't getting enough of them or the wrong denomination. Probably 'cause I didn't read the 12 rules or keep my head down through my swing?

Your comments were not negative, but some of our UHH'ers are and you guys know who you are. Thanks for reading the post and sharing your thoughts.

CaptainC Loc: Colorado, south of Denver

Now that is just silly. If you ever look through a PPA Loan Collection Book, you would see hundreds of images that are all different and show the enormous variety that exists in great photography. Are there some similarities? Sure. But to suggest that those 12 elements make images look alike is a very uninformed position—to which, of course, you are welcome.

CaptainC Loc: Colorado, south of Denver

The Story Telling is just ONE of the 12 elements. Some images have a very definite story. The image of the little girl crying at the border is a great example. That fireman carrying the body of a child at the site of the Kansas City bombing is one. On the other hand, I think most landscape images do not tell a story—although some do. A well-done portrait will tell a story about that subject.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

I think you've missed the point. This is not a recipe for repetition. It's a guide to creating truly original and uniquely personal artwork. Too bad you didn't get that in your read.

tomcat

Thank you for another intelligent interpretation of my post. It’s exactly what I’m trying to get new UHH’ers to understand. The old foggies will grumble regardless