Thursday, November 30, 2006

What's a "Good Photograph"?

Quite often i have been affronted with this question.. What is a good photograph and how does one judge a photograph?
I recently came across this article which i believe summarizes the points involved pretty well.


The following is a list of basic judging and critiquing criteria for photographs, compiled by George Kalem III, Manchester, New Hampshire. The items are given in descending order of importance.

Impact - what you see first; first impression; strong feeling of power; hold your eye.
Keep Smiling

Creativity - use of imagination; freshness of approach; unusual cropping/use of subject matter; invention, design, feeling and imagination that lifts the work into the realm of art; could be abstract.
Creation 6 | Pottery Town, Bangalore

Style
- part that sets the work apart from others; different but consistent way of seeing; different approach; real, not contrived; experimental; individual.
Indian Essence

Composition - good placement of subject; successful arrangement; harmonious proportions; use dynamic symmetry in placing the most important objects; good rhythm in repetition; color, spaces, moods, divisions of photograph.
Doorway to Heaven

Print Presentation - does presentation enhance the photograph?; good cropping; good color for matting or mounting; using something dynamic or very traditional; creative mounting.
Jump to Glory

Color Balance - good technique; good selection of color for subject matter; using very interpretive color (maybe not normal); creative use of color (complementary colors, dark against light, strong against weak)
3 Kalis and a Shiva

Center of Interest
- dominance of subject matter; grouping of subject and arrangement of objects so one center of interest prevails, subject hold the eye without distractions; mood or misty; strength and definition gives center of interest; secondary subjects don't overpower main subject.
Alone

Lighting
- good statement of light; good portrait lighting; dynamic lighting pattern of light can enhance, create strong mood.
On The Streets

Subject Matter
- outstanding interpretation for the subject matter; good camera angle; good selection of photographic model or object; contrast can be very creative in selection (old and young, warm and cold).
Time

Print Quality
- strong contrast; middle tones; good color balance; expressions and artistic lighting; simple statements are strongest; good angle on buildings; backgrounds in harmony with subject matter.
Two | Lalbagh Flower Show

Technique
- different technique for subject matter; technique is foundation of photography but knowledge of art principles are very necessary; using creativity and abstraction can help; design brings abstract ideas into concrete form.
Express Yourself: Hunger

Story Telling
- complete story within photograph; successful presentation; achievement of purpose; complete meeting at first glance; strong mood or emotion using strong complementary colors next to each other; strong mood builds emotional response challenging your imagination.
I know a Secret

Thats a long post! But definitely worth pondering over when I try to look for images that satisfy these criteria. Do let me know what you think.

7 comments:

Unknown said...

great stuff man. keep up the good work and teach me some of those secrets dat make these fotos.

Sandhya Kurrey said...

This really tells about good photographs and gives u an idea about good photography :)
These things makes a photograph priceless...

Days_of_my_life said...

way to go Kshitiz. Reach up to the meaning of your name in photography.
Every photo shot is worth a collection. Putting a copyright on these shots would be a noble idea.
Side by side you can also write when you feel about your perspective while taking shots. It would be of great aid to part-time photographers or people having photography as hobby.

Kshitiz Anand said...

Hey thanks kamlesh, Sandhya and Gaurav!

யாழினுது... yaazhinidhu... said...

Anand... Thats a great collection... Ur going place man... FOR SURE...:)
Keep clicking...

Kshitiz Anand said...

Thanks Venkatesan!

Unknown said...

I love to take some photograph because i usually travel too much,one day i saw a site called
costa rica homes for sale
and it seemed very wonderful, and i am very exited, now i want to visit this beautiful country and take a lot of photos.