A good Photograph, what do u attribute it to?

[Paul_Yeo]

is it true that luck doesn't really matter as a good photographer shld be able to shoot in all conditions?

eg, if he wanted to take nice sunny day pic, but it rains. so he shld be able to be flexible and take nice rainy day pic too.....

dunno if i am talking sense? :bsmilie:

 

[student]

Since the number of factors attributing to a good photo is pretty diverse, basically I'd cut it to 4 major factors:

- Technical (which means ur knowledge of aperture, shutter, ISO, their relationship & their appropriate usage)
- Skill (which means compositional abilities)
- Luck (of being at the right place @ right time or that lucky shot after machine gunning ur way thru)
- Equipment (you know)

I'd personally attribute the factors to a good photo to the following ratio:
10% equipment, 20% technical, 60% skill, 10% luck

May I make a suggestion?

Can you name say what you consider as 10 good photos? And then ask how much skills/craft, luck and equipment play in their creation?

May I also suggest that for the time being, we do not talk about images that need superspecialised equipments?

Let us talk about images that can be taken by the average and perhaps slightly more well-heeled CS members.

 

[Sion]

I'd personally attribute the factors to a good photo to the following ratio:
10% equipment, 20% technical, 60% skill, 10% luck

So creativity is 0%?

 

[singscott]

reminds me of the song again...

What if God was one of us
Just a noob like one of us
Just a sniper on the rush
Trying to make his way home

Bro

I think "just a sniper on the rush trying to make his way home" should be "Just another on the bus making his way home" :bsmilie: :bsmilie:

 

[ortega]

Yes, it matters.

If one is presented with the right moment, but cannot recognise it, and knows not how to operate the equipment, knows not how to frame the scene, knows not how to expose correctly, the moment is wasted.

I use a large format too. Including a 8x10 format camera which Ansel Adams used. After using such cameras for more than three years, I still need A LOT more time than John Sexton or Bruce Barnbaum to take an image, assuming first that I can see what was presented before me!



Yes, and Ansel Adams said it with great humility. There were few people in that era who knew the craft of photography as well as him.

It will be a mistake to assume that Ansel Adams meant that luck was all that is.

Luck is required. Yes!

But 100%? Are you not exaggerating a little too much?



I may be guilty of blasphemy! But I think I do.

God has in mind those who laboured hard for that right moment to click the shutter.

i am glad you agree

 

[Del_CtrlnoAlt]

Bro

I think "just a sniper on the rush trying to make his way home" should be "Just another on the bus making his way home" :bsmilie: :bsmilie:

correct mah... mine is about ppl who wanna one shoot one kill but in the end wanna go home so rush it and anyhow shoot... :bsmilie: :devil:

 

[Paul_Yeo]

maybe can add this?

10% equipment - depends using nikon or canon?
10% technical -
10% talents
10% soft skill - able to commmunicate with person?
10% passion
10% character - patience, perserverance, courage to shoot on the street?
10% luck - depends if camera will break down last minute?
10% subject - depends if person is chio?
10% error correction skills - photoshop away the flaw?
10% finance - no money buy camera, nothing to talk about liao

 

[jsbn]

So creativity is 0%?

Creativity falls within the general sphere of 'skill' in this case.

 

[jsbn]

May I make a suggestion?

Can you name say what you consider as 10 good photos? And then ask how much skills/craft, luck and equipment play in their creation?

Unfortunately, as for naming specific photos per se, I can't really do so. But when an image meets the following criteria:
1) Captures my eye
2) Intrigues me with its colour, lighting, composition style
3) Sets me thinking on the subject (assuming portraiture)
4) Makes me able to feel the entire scene literally (assuming landscape, street shoots or photojournalistic style photos)
5) Invokes an emotion (makes me smile, makes me laugh or cry. Even if I'm not at the scene when the photo was shot)

Maybe its bad mood or I'm perhaps not really in a mood these days but photos these days rarely get past my 1st criteria.

 

[student]

Unfortunately, as for naming specific photos per se, I can't really do so. But when an image meets the following criteria:
1) Captures my eye
2) Intrigues me with its colour, lighting, composition style
3) Sets me thinking on the subject (assuming portraiture)
4) Makes me able to feel the entire scene literally (assuming landscape, street shoots or photojournalistic style photos)
5) Invokes an emotion (makes me smile, makes me laugh or cry. Even if I'm not at the scene when the photo was shot)

Maybe its bad mood or I'm perhaps not really in a mood these days but photos these days rarely get past my 1st criteria.

Well, I am sure you have at least ONE photo which had met your criteria in the past.

Take that one picture and find out how much each of those components play a role.

If you really still cannot find such a picture, I might be able to find a few really good photos and then we can have an exercise on these.

 

[Stereobox]

every photograph/photographic series is individual and unique, therefore the 'percentage' attributed varies. to nail it down with a fixed, 'standard', 'average' percentage attribution is....a very narrow way of seeing pictures...agree?

i guess it's not how much 'percentage' of each individual factors that matters - but how they all come together to make a 100%.

 

[Paul_Yeo]

Unfortunately, as for naming specific photos per se, I can't really do so. But when an image meets the following criteria:
1) Captures my eye
2) Intrigues me with its colour, lighting, composition style
3) Sets me thinking on the subject (assuming portraiture)
4) Makes me able to feel the entire scene literally (assuming landscape, street shoots or photojournalistic style photos)
5) Invokes an emotion (makes me smile, makes me laugh or cry. Even if I'm not at the scene when the photo was shot)

Maybe its bad mood or I'm perhaps not really in a mood these days but photos these days rarely get past my 1st criteria.

your standard very high! :thumbsup:

 

[Paul_Yeo]

every photograph/photographic series is individual and unique, therefore the 'percentage' attributed varies. to nail it down with a fixed, 'standard', 'average' percentage attribution is....a very narrow way of seeing pictures...agree?

i guess it's not how much 'percentage' of each individual factors that matters - but how they all come together to make a 100%.

agreed :thumbsup:

cannot define and fix percentage like science or engineering , it's an art , something personal, sometimes memorable ... ... :heart:

think wedding photog who shoot your wedding will be very stressful :sweat:

 

[yanyewkay]

reminds me of the song again...

What if God was one of us
Just a noob like one of us
Just a sniper on the rush
Trying to make his way home

I prefer your TCSS version...

 

[Del_CtrlnoAlt]

I prefer your TCSS version...

me too... i need to find a place to unleash my creativity... write my songs... sibeh songs..:bsmilie:

 

[imouyang]

Clear Vision, Swift Action, Good Results...

I believe that one needs:

great experience (be it with the equipment, the type of shoot)

great skills (like ansel adams who is well versed with the characteristic of film, exposure and composition)

to get a good photo.

Luck-wise, i think that sometimes it can work with you or work against you... haha..

 

[Del_CtrlnoAlt]

Clear Vision, Swift Action, Good Results...

I believe that one needs:

great experience (be it with the equipment, the type of shoot)

great skills (like ansel adams who is well versed with the characteristic of film, exposure and composition)

to get a good photo.

Luck-wise, i think that sometimes it can work with you or work against you... haha..

actually i dun think so leh... not that i am master but i think no matter how clear, how swift, if u never think about how you going to execute, also useless...

i am those either i plan swee swee to shoot, or i just miss it kind... no point keeping craps while i shoot blindly. (for still life)

btw, anybody know whats ansel's shutter count? cos if he shot like 50k shots, and achieve nirvana, then those ppl who shot 100k shots and still produce crap ought to be buried.... :bsmilie:

 

[imouyang]

actually i dun think so leh... not that i am master but i think no matter how clear, how swift, if u never think about how you going to execute, also useless...

i am those either i plan swee swee to shoot, or i just miss it kind... no point keeping craps while i shoot blindly. (for still life)

btw, anybody know whats ansel's shutter count? cos if he shot like 50k shots, and achieve nirvana, then those ppl who shot 100k shots and still produce crap ought to be buried.... :bsmilie:

To me, clear vision also encompasses planning ahead too... Don't tell me that after you have planned swee swee le... You dun have a clear vision (or clear idea) of what to shoot?

 

[Paul_Yeo]

shoot still life in studio best, no time swift action. put the vase there, slowly take photog's sweet time to shoot.

 

[Del_CtrlnoAlt]

To me, clear vision also encompasses planning ahead too... Don't tell me that after you have planned swee swee le... You dun have a clear vision (or clear idea) of what to shoot?

u guys tok gong leh, everything also encompass into catchlines... :bsmilie:

next time i write a word...

swee-... encompass alot of things ok... 0.1% of luck, 0.1% of .... ... .... infinity... ;p