Loading... What are the key elements of a great photograph?

When it makes a viewer look at it for more than 6 seconds you can tell that it has something special about it. Photography is very subjective. It depends on many elements. Mostly an image has to be pleasant, but not always since some poignant images achieve the same effects and in one way or another it should elicit some sort of emotional reaction from its viewers.

On the technical aspect it should be crisp and sharp unless your intention is to show movement on a two dimensional medium.

Bottom line there are too many elements that distinguish one great image from the "just one more" crowd.

In just a few words, I would say: subject, lighting and composition...

Composition, tonal quality, clarity, and controlled lighting. These are the main concerns and all else will fall into place. Remember, art is in the eye of the beholder. What one finds to be a great picture, someone else may view it differently. That does not make it a bad picture.

I think a great photograph is one where the person is drawn to it so much that they either want that particular photograph, or they don't want to stop looking at it. It doesn't necessarily have to be one where all of the elements of the photograph are "done just right" so to speak. I know that from personal experience, I have gone out and taken some pictures that have accidentally turned out beautiful. I was aiming for something else, but some other part of the photograph caught my eye and I had to enhance that part of it. That is a great question!

I would have thought the first choice would have to be the arrangement within the image, followed closely by tonal values. Contrasted or graded colours, that's up to you the photographer. Fill the 'frame' with a bold image that's guaranteed a second look, or even a third. There's such a thing as over-doing the composition and 'crowding' the picture, or putting in too much sky.

Steer clear of fads. Every so often a new fad takes over the photography world. Once upon a time we had fish-eye lens making everything look distorted, then moody, grainy pictures with practically nothing in them but boats on lakes with mountains as back-drops. Or there were tree-trunks on the sea-shore. Unusual, but what do tree trunks have to do with the sea-shore? A picture needs relevant subject matter; keep it believable.

Its very tough to give you an exact answer. But one way to begin taking great pictures is to snap images that YOU find appealing. What kinds of pictures capture your attention? Are they black and white? Are they sepia toned? What is the subject matter? Do you like to look at architecture and they way things are sometimes very complex? Do you enjoy nature pictures? If so, what kind? I know there are a million and one pictures out there with just flowers. These can be great as photographs, but not if you feel you've seen the exact same picture before. In nature, sometimes its the things we see that are imperfect and bizarre that make the greatest pictures. Animals are great for subjects, but just remember you're going to have to snap A LOT of pictures to get one or two good shots. Animals move when they want to, and you may not be ready when they do. Another subject media that you might enjoy is making the ordinary, mundane images we see everyday seem not so ordinary.

I think one of the most important elements of taking that wonderful photograph is the amount of depth in your picture. If everything is on the same plane of space your viewer will see nothing "photo worthy." Play around with lamps. Do you have a plant? Place a lamp near the leaves. The shadows that play on the wall will show your viewers depth within the picture, which means they will have more to see then just some leaves. They will see the shape of the shadows the leaves make, the color of the wall, the slightly darker shade of wall within those shadows.

One of the greatest times of day to take Nature pictures is during dusk, when the sun is near the horizon. If the sun is blazing down in all it's glory mid-day, your photos might turn out overexposed, causing the color to be washed out.

The main thing I want to have you do is study whatever it is that captures YOUR attention. Google Images. How are your favorites composed? The more you snap yourself, the better you will become. But make sure you're enjoying yourself and not over-thinking all the aspects of a "great photograph", or you won't have any fun. :) There's a photographer in all of us, you just have to let them out to have fun!

For me it's composition, lighting, sharpness and lack of digital noise.

It is a great idea to incorporate your own photographs. I believe to take a good photograph, you need patience, an interesting angel, and good lighting, but also, your photo should tell a story relevant to the hub.