What makes a good photograph?
Why do they feel so elusive and is good photography the same as good work?
Hello, I’m Gill and I write a photography blog inspired by the landscapes of Suffolk and beyond. Please subscribe to read more of my writing and visit my website to view my images.
The 3.40am alarm call is still ringing in my ears as I quietly close the front door, climb into the car and start the engine. I dive along the road in the half light of dawn wondering what I am doing up at this uncivilised hour and feeling a little out of love with my photography.
Then as I round a bend in the road and look down into the shallow valley of the Butley River I am reminded why I do this. A veil of mist lies low over the fields, and the rounded tops of scattered oak trees rise like sentinels over the surrounding fields. The acres of wheat in front of me is on the cusp of ripening and lies motionless in a patchwork of pale green and cream. It is a perfect, sublime landscape that maybe I should have stopped to photograph, but it is one that I drive past on my way to the river.
Orford is my destination for sunrise today. It is a place I don’t often visit because I find it complicated and photographs don’t come that easily. Maybe that is because I don’t feel the same connection to this place as I do to other more familiar locations along the coast. Whatever it is I don’t seem to be able to create a good image here.
Arriving 30 minutes before sunrise, I leave the car and walk out onto the quay, turning right to the old boat wreck, a familiar composition and a safe bet. But after a quick recce I am soon heading back in the opposite direction uninspired by my initial choice. I find a boat in the shallows and am drawn to its reflections. I set up my camera and make some images.
On the back of the camera they look ok, a nice depiction of place, maybe a good shot but would I classify it as good work? Definitely not. I was inspired to make the image but to me it is not inspiring. I like its tranquility, its sense of calm and and whilst I feel it has mood and atmosphere I wasn’t challenged to make this photograph. I didn’t feel that buzz of knowing I had made something worthwhile. I was just making images to full fill a self imposed pressure and I sense this type of work is making me a lazy creative.
So what constitutes good work and is this the same as making a good photo?
We are probably all familiar with the text book definitions of what makes a good image. Something that is technically competent with sharp focus, is well exposed with an eye catching composition and good depth, balance and flow through the frame. Something that evokes mood and emotion and critically in my opinion an image that makes the viewer feel something.
But I think the definition of a good photograph goes deeper than that. As a photographer, when I make an image I know if it is any good because it excites me. It makes my heart beat faster, and crucially it makes me want to share it because it aligns with my mission as a photographer - ‘to share the things that I love and that inspire me in a meaningful way and with purpose’.
As a viewer you know when you are looking at a good image because it will move you, it will inspire you and it will make you want to look at it again and again.
In my view a good photograph is a fluid thing, it changes every time you look at it, you see new things, interpret it in subtly different ways and find new meanings with each viewing. In short a good photograph encourages a deeper connection - one between the viewer and the image but also one that shows the connection between the image and the photographer. I think a good photograph shows the viewer something about the photographer who made it, something about the person that they are and what is important to them.
'The camera always points both ways. In expressing the subject, you also express yourself.' Freeman Patterson
I also feel that whether a photograph is good or not is determined as much by the viewer as it is by the photographer. How we respond to an image is very subjective and what resonates with one person will not connect with another. However having said that I think if we look at images from some of the masters of photography we can see a dynamism within their work that makes their images compelling, whether we personally like them or not. We can see something in them that is captivating.
I think there is a difference between a bad image and an image that we might personally dislike and I think this is something important to remember when we are entering competitions, at camera club or asking for critique. Sometimes it is hard to look at a photograph without letting our personal biases dictate how we view it. In my opinion we should not dismiss something as bad because we don’t like it or understand it. I think an image is only bad if it is forgettable and fails to engage the viewer.
So does a series of good images constitute good work? In my opinion, no. I feel a photographer can only make good work if they have a purpose and something interesting to say and I feel this is what I am lacking at the moment.
My photography for my ‘Connection project’ is coming to an end, I have a body of work I am happy with and I am now focused on coordinating the other participants and putting together the book that is one part of how the project will be presented. But this leaves my everyday image making with a lack of direction and focus and in my mind all the poorer for that.
Maybe this is understandable. I don’t think we should jump from one project to the next, we need to allow space for ideas to develop and our creativity to grow, but I am constantly battling the voice in my head that says I need to be productive at all times. That business voice that puts the need to earn money before the space to be creative is not always welcome or relevant.
I think good work comes from curiosity, inspiration, and personal interests. It comes from having a desire to communicate, through images, what we feel about the world around us. We can make good images, but these alone won’t always translate into a good body of work without a solid message and a personal connection.
So maybe this is why I am feeling a little lost with my image making. At the moment, in this space between projects, my work has no direction or meaning. Beyond communicating my love of nature and place I have nothing to say. Yet.
So whilst I am putting the finishing touches to my Connection Project I am going to allow myself the space to just enjoy my photography without the pressure to produce good work. I am going to try and tune out the nagging voice in my head that demands productivity over creativity and I am going to give myself room for ideas and creativity to grow.
In the meantime I am happy to be out in nature making images that convey the beauty of my local landscapes. I am going to experiment and play and for the time being that is enough.
What do you think constitutes a good image and do you feel there is a distinction between creating a good image and good work overall? I am much happier these days working in series and projects but I know not everyone works like this. If you work by making single images do you find that process satisfying and does it give you something meaningful to say as a photographer?
I would be really interested to hear your thoughts so please join the conversation and leave your comments below.
Thank you very much for reading and until next time enjoy your photography.
Gill
Another great piece of writing and perspective, Gill. As always. I totally agree that a good image has nothing to do with the technical aspects, it’s how it makes us feel as a photographer and the viewer feel as well. You know somewhere deep inside you when you have a good image, either in the field or back at your desk. It’s that “oh yes, I like that” moment.
Over the years I’ve come to accept that these don’t appear every time you get your camera out. With patience however, they will and when they don’t, well you are just practicing and keeping your creative muscles warm until the next one.
a good image is one that speaks to me, is as simple as. and yes there is a distinction between creating a good image and good work