What Makes a Good Photograph?

What makes a good photograph? This is a pretty broad question. You may be thinking that it also has a different answer for every person, and you’d be right. There must be some kind of criteria though, otherwise, why do some photographs win prizes, and others not?

The basics which I think make a good photograph are:

Good resolution – pixelation ruins the appearance, reducing the quality
Good/complementary colors – too much color can be distracting, but not enough can make a very dull photo

Relaxed people – even in posed portraits, if the person looks stiff, the photo just looks flat

Straight horizon – unless you’re really trying to tilt the horizon on an image, a slightly slanting horizon is distracting

Focused subject – blur might work taking photos of a race, but something still needs to be in focus. Whatever it is, make it interesting

Record a memory – it doesn’t matter if the photo won’t turn out perfectly, it’s important to capture a moment that should be forgotten.

Photography should be fun.

So, as long as you are enjoying the process, and taking the photos that you want, you may find that you get an awesome photo, without paying attention to all the rules. Happy snapping!