TREBORB

So many of the discussions in UHH revolve around Hardware. Also Canon vs, Nikon etc. etc.
My question to you is,
What do you think makes a great photograph.
I am sure your assessment will have nothing to do with Make of camera, lens, aperture or focal length
In the end the power of the image is what is meaningful to you.
So lets hear from Uhh members their take on What makes a great photo.
different strokes for different folks.

PixelStan77 Loc: Vermont/Chicago

Image has Impact, Lighting,Composition, technical excellence. The camera is a tool. IMHO makes no difference what label is on that tool when the image was created.

nimbushopper Loc: Tampa, FL

A lot of factors go into it, the least of which is the equipment that is used. One has to start out with a good subject matter, then make a good composition of that subject matter. Then you add color or B&W, detail, focus, exposure, and the quality of the light(whether it's natural or artificial or a combination of both). If all the aforementioned elements come together nicely then an excellent photograph should be the result. Getting this all together takes experience and effort on the part of the photographer who is the one responsible for making the photograph!

Laura72568 Loc: Anderson TX

You're right, everyone has their own idea of what makes a good photograph. My feeling is that if the photographer loves it and feels it expresses what he/she want to express, then that's great!
Personally though, I always look to make sure my eye easily finds the subject meant to be photographed whether it goes straight to it or meanders to it through leading lines and such. I also look at balance. So composition is what I look for. For me, it is frustrating to look at photographs and wonder what the subject actually is. Just my two cents!

frankraney Loc: Clovis, Ca.

The subject must stand out, and the image must be composed to accomplish what you, the photographer, want to project.

Laura72568 Loc: Anderson TX

Exactly! I just used too many words to convey that thought! Lol

wmurnahan Loc: Bloomington IN

One that elicits an emotion in the viewer. Quality of camera, lens only matter if displaying in large print. You can capture a great photo but equipment might not allow you to enlarge it to a 16 X 20 without losing a lot of the effect the photo is able to have. Aperture and shutter speed only matter if you are wanting to use effects to elicit those emotions like slow shutter speed to soften the flowing water or limit depth of field to separate the subject from the background.

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

I'm sure there will be a consensus of opinions regarding what makes a good photograph. They should be interesting to read, but will, more than likely, all contain roughly the same criteria. Your mention of the equipment does bring to mind something I've noticed here on UHH. People post a photo and almost inherently post the kind of camera, lens, etc. I also see numerous queries regarding what equipment was used. It's the final image that matters. That's all. Go to any art museum and you'll not find the type of brushes, paints, cameras, lenses, film, etc. listed alongside the title of the work. It's just the work that matters.

Sure, if one is a sales person representing a particular photographic equipment manufacturer, it's important to bring that information to the fore during a demonstration. If one is a teacher and giving step by step instructions, it might be important, but probably just settings are all that is needed. So, it doesn't really matter what kind of equipment one is using. It's the image that is important and nothing more needs to be posted about it.
--Bob

big-guy Loc: Peterborough Ontario Canada

Thought, planning, timing, refinement and a little touch of serendipity. Seems simple enough...

TREBORB

Yes, I asked the question.
So maybe I should give my own take.
I feel the issues that define a good book, painting, play, dance or even a photograph is its Passion. Does it move you.
The reasons WHY probably lie in the viewer's Psyche.
That visual impact is what defines the viewed art or other art form
you will always remember that impact, and forget the aperture, speed, Asa etc.
Enjoy the process

ricardo7 Loc: Washington, DC - Santiago, Chile

The opinion of a camera clubber will probably be a world away from the scholar.
The scholar will be right.

novnan Loc: bucks county, pa

A good photo isn't really about equipment.Obviously a $4000 camera or lens will hopefully take better shots than a 400 dollar one, but only in the hands of someone who knows how to utilize it. Photography is about the light, so the light can often make or break a photo. As far as composition goes, humans are hardwired to see certain visual stimuli as pleasing and others as not(check out the Gestalt Principles). I once had a professional photographer tell me that when people said they didn't like his pictures he would say, they just didn't get it. LOL! I like that line. Photography is art and we all know art is subjective. Personally I am still learning what make a great photo, and photography has a huge learning curve.:)

Weddingguy Loc: British Columbia - Canada

In my humble opinion I believe there are three factors that make a photo great.

1) Sharpness . . . proper focus and no unplanned subject or camera movement blur.
2) Proper exposure with no unplanned loss of detail in highlights or shadow.
3) Content . . . following or maneuvering important composition and cropping guidelines and containing what was intended by the photographer.

Great pictures can also happen by accident . . . but I believe the majority are produced by at least some planning and skills.

ricardo7 Loc: Washington, DC - Santiago, Chile

[quote=Weddingguy]In my humble opinion I believe there are three factors that make a photo great.

1) Sharpness . . . proper focus and no unplanned subject or camera movement blur.
2) Proper exposure with no unplanned loss of detail in highlights or shadow.
3) Content . . . following or maneuvering important composition and cropping guidelines and containing what was intended by the photographer.

Only three known versions of The Pond-Moonlight are still in existence and, as a result of the hand-layering of the gums, each is unique. In February 2006, a print of the photograph sold for US $2.9 million,[1] at the time, the highest price ever paid for a photograph at auction.

Weddingguy Loc: British Columbia - Canada

[quote=ricardo7]

And your point is ?