What makes a good photograph?

Another thing i think that really makes a good photo is

If you like i

I know i might get some stick for this post, but I feel a key point about photography (at a non pro level anyway) is about enjoying it.

If you take a photo and YOU like it then that is good enough.

Dont get me wrong, If you are doing it at a pro' level, then of course the technical ability of the photographer needs to be scrutinised that little bit more but overall, Just enjoy yourself as a photographer and from that, your photos will reflect it

~~ TS ~~

That is absolutely right. What someone new to the hobby will do however is progress to a point where they look back to older prints of theirs and find that they do not like the images as much as they did, they will as they advance become more picky about which of their shots they consider to be of their best work.

Avoiding the midday sun may prevent some bad shots. The same way your camera's flash can wash out color, the intense midday sun can mute colors and cast deep shadows, reducing warmth and detail. The best time of day for photos is either early morning or early evening. Colors are warmer and shadows are softer. I have taken some of my good photos on an overcast day.

Avoiding the midday sun may prevent some bad shots

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Hard to do when shooting outdoor sports, well impossible actually. ;D

Perspective makes things interesting. A photo of a distant subject can seem one-dimensional. Incorporating objects which are nearer to you and also related to the main subject gives a sense of distance.
Also, a busy background can ruin many photos and takes away the focus.
These are not my photos, but examples of what I am trying to say.

Yes, longer focal lengths compress the objects making things appear closer together where as wide angle lens will make an object in the background appear further away than it really is. The difference between taking a shot at 28mm and 128mm makes a huge varience in the way the image looks.

Also perspective such as being lower to the ground than the eye would normally be or simply from an angle most would normally not view a subject adds an interest that may not be there from a familiar angle.

If you are the only person that sees your photographs, then good photographs are the ones that please you.

However, if you show your photographs to others, than the the photographs that are good are the ones that the the lion's share of your viewers say are good (or similar words to that effect) regardless of how you feel about them.

Try someting other than the front view. You could add some interest by having people look at a differet angle or from a different angle.
Taking people's photos from lower up also adds some interest and loses some of those deep lines on their faces.
Blurring the background is common, but you could include another person who is related to the subject in the blur and make it more interesting.
For e.g. you may be taking a photo of a woman selling flowers and blurring the person behind her who is helping out.
These are just examples, not my photos.

When I was taking photos of this art which is made out of several layers of flower petals and plant materials, I positioned the camera on a tripod and framed the subject off centered. No flash was used and I positioned the art near a window, light coming from one angle only. That way I was able to capture the details of the several layers of flower petals, etc. This is the first time I have done this and I am open to any suggestions.

johntalin said:

Avoiding the midday sun may prevent some bad shots. The same way your camera's flash can wash out color, the intense midday sun can mute colors and cast deep shadows, reducing warmth and detail. The best time of day for photos is either early morning or early evening. Colors are warmer and shadows are softer. I have taken some of my good photos on an overcast day.

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I like to add:
To prevent very light and very dark areas on sunny days, stand in a patch of shade. This will create better photos, because your camera will sense less light.
Also, using a flash in the sun will cast an even light over the subject.

...especially if you've got a backlit subject.

Has anyone been really successful taking video with the camera, then selecting still shots, producing good photos?
This has to be done in daylight, no flash, with tripod.
It would be handy to record sport events.