Why is this photo popular? Occasionally I post a photo to the local community FaceBook page. This will typically be relevant to something in the area (for example I recently posted a...

hobbit123 Loc: Brisbane, Australia

Occasionally I post a photo to the local community FaceBook page. This will typically be relevant to something in the area (for example I recently posted a picture of some local falls after heavy rains). I generally don't post unless I think the photo is OK, and if I'm lucky I might get 100 "likes".

Last Friday I took some photos of the 'Pink Supermoon'. It was a hazy night so the photos didn't turn out as well as I had hoped. But I posted a photo anyway. Then bored, I posted another photo which I had previously 'constructed' using a panoramic view of the city at night and a moon shot. I then 'enhanced' the photo by using the burn tool in Photoshop to add some pink to the moon. I just thought it was a bit of fun.

To my surprise the "likes" started to roll in immediately, and by this morning I had received well over 500! And there were lots of accompanying comments "beyond stunning", "absolutely beautiful", "It looks like the cover for a Movie", "Outstandingly Beautiful!"

I'm honest enough to admit this is a very average 'photo' but obviously it's hit the spot for a lot of people. Can anyone even begin to hazard a guess why this particular image should be so popular? I can't.

(Download)

Grahame Loc: Fiji

Perhaps because the vast majority that viewed it used a tiny screen on a phone?

Looking at the thumbnail on my monitor it looks good, but not so good from an IQ perspective (to someone interested in photography) when I click download and see it full size.

hobbit123 Loc: Brisbane, Australia

Grahame wrote:

Perhaps because the vast majority that viewed it used a tiny screen on a phone?

Looking at the thumbnail on my monitor it looks good, but not so good from an IQ perspective (to someone interested in photography) when I click download and see it full size.

Well you might be right. By comparison I posted another photo which I think is more dramatic than the first but garnered only 20 "likes". Why the difference I wonder?

(Download)

Pablo8 Loc: Nottingham UK.

Perhaps the difference is the second image has lost the 'Pink' colouring.

tcthome Loc: NJ

Pablo8 wrote:

Perhaps the difference is the second image has lost the 'Pink' colouring.

My guess also

hobbit123 Loc: Brisbane, Australia

tcthome wrote:

My guess also

So if I'd made the second shot pink rather than yellow it would have worked? I'm not convinced. Surely there must be more to it than that?

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

hobbit123 wrote:

Well you might be right. By comparison I posted another photo which I think is more dramatic than the first but garnered only 20 "likes". Why the difference I wonder?

Why the difference in likes?
Who knows, why does a image win first place in one contest and gets an honorable mention in another contest? But, who really cares? If your happy with it, who cares if others like it, unless your an insecure person who has to have others approval to be happy. NOT ME.

hobbit123 Loc: Brisbane, Australia

billnikon wrote:

Why the difference in likes?
Who knows, why does a image win first place in one contest and gets an honorable mention in another contest? But, who really cares? If your happy with it, who cares if others like it, unless your an insecure person who has to have others approval to be happy. NOT ME.

Well the reason for the question is if I can identify the magic ingredient then I can produce more images with the same appeal. I'd like to win first place in future contests, wouldn't you?

ClarkJohnson Loc: Fort Myers, FL and Cohasset, MA

IMHO, it is the composition. The first shot is majestic and open; the second is closed and threatening. It has nothing to do with IQ.

NormanTheGr8 Loc: Racine, Wisconsin

Maybe because the first looks like it was shot and posted but the second looks like it was edited a lot. Both nice shots and I personally love the 2nd, but would consider it more photographic art instead of a photo

hobbit123 Loc: Brisbane, Australia

NormanTheGr8 wrote:

Maybe because the first looks like it was shot and posted but the second looks like it was edited a lot. Both nice shots and I personally love the 2nd, but would consider it more photographic art instead of a photo

Haha! My thoughts exactly. But when does a photo slide from being 'just a photo' to photographic art? It's a thin line between tweaking the vibrance and sharpening to a full on recomposition as is the case with both these examples.

But the underlying question is if you were to attempt to create another shot hoping for those 500+ "likes" what would you take out of the pink moon photo to guarantee your success?

Delderby Loc: Derby UK

This is a great picture - "Full Moon Over Brisbane". Residents of Brisbane should queue to buy prints.
The enhanced pink is a master stroke.

hobbit123 Loc: Brisbane, Australia

Delderby wrote:

This is a great picture - "The Moon over Brisbane". Residents of Brisbane should queue to buy prints.
The extra pink moon is a master stroke.

There you go :-) A typical response. I'm amazed!

hobbit123 Loc: Brisbane, Australia

Delderby wrote:

This is a great picture - "Full Moon Over Brisbane". Residents of Brisbane should queue to buy prints.
The enhanced pink is a master stroke.

Full disclosure... It's not the first time I've been accused (by myself) of accidental genius :-)

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

hobbit123 wrote:

Well the reason for the question is if I can identify the magic ingredient then I can produce more images with the same appeal. I'd like to win first place in future contests, wouldn't you?

Photo contest are subjective. Good luck. Every contest has different judges, different backgrounds, and individual tastes. I always just please myself, If I am happy with the image, I could care less what others think or if my image will win a contest. How shallow.