Courious about how others judge a photograph.

[vintagesnaps]

I think it's similar to other crafts, and art, etc. in that the technical aspects are part of it. I do quilting and I could come up with a good combination of patterns and colors, etc. but if the workmanship is sloppy it's going to detract from the overall quality. A good photo needs to make good use of balance, framing, etc. as well as visually convey something of interest to viewers.

I've done submissions to juried exhibits and photos may be considered based on how the images followed given guidelines or portray the theme. The judging can take into consideration how any of the submissions would work with the rest of the exhibition, etc. It can be somewhat subjective I think because whoever's making the selections will likely make choices based on their background.

In my experience so far, a photo needs to stand on its own. The initial submission usually just includes last name first, etc.; then if accepted it needs to include a title, description, etc. If a photo needs explanation then probably it didn't convey what was intended, although viewers bring their life experiences to how they see it.


To go back a little... there seem to be misconceptions about the photo of the flag raising at Iwo Jima. The photographer did NOT stage it; there's newsreel footage to show that he photographed what was there. What happened is that soldiers apparently had first put a smaller flag there in a rather impromptu way; then a commander gave them a larger flag to display, and that's what the photographer captured when he arrived on scene.

See The Story Behind The Iconic 'Flag Raising On Iwo Jima'

Edit - Link to the website for the Pulitzer, with a wacky looking title!
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[Solarflare]

When I folks post a photograph, I look at it and; I like it, do not like it or I am neutral about it. I am rarely concerned about the technical aspects of it.

Evaluating a photograph is a deeply nontrivial and subjective process ... and yes, a good photograph can have technical errors and nobody will care.