Do people even know what a good image is??

[dennybeall]

Many people trying to get in the photography business want to make "good" photos. BUT, they need to first find out what the customer wants. How does the client define "good"? If you want to make photos that match your definition of "Good" then I guess you're an artist...............

 

[jcdeboever]

Recently, a good customer of mine showed me his wedding photo's that he paid around $1000 for. He knows I like photography, even asked me if I'd want to shoot his wedding. I told him I don't do weddings. He was very happy with them and that's all that counts.

 

[Braineack]

...but do they know a bad image from a good one?

nope. I'm doing a wedding in a few weeks, and luckily it's true!

 

[Gary A.]

Generally no. Those who do are (and again generally) photographers and/or those with artistic education/skills.

 

[Gary A.]

I have this thing ... capturing a great photo is hard and impressive. But capturing a great photo which is well exposed, straight horizons, compositionally proper ... that is even harder and more impressive. That is the bar I shoot for, not only an image with exceptional impact but also one with high technical quality.

 

[tirediron]

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.....

This. Exactly.

As photographers we tend to judge the "good-ness" of an image against a set of compositional and design rules that we all more-or-less understand and agree with, and there's lots of valid data to support them, BUT... at the end of the day, what a person likes is what's good. Whenever I meet with a client for a proofing session, or send them a gallery, I always make a mental note of the "best" images of the set, and almost never are those the ones that the client chooses.

 

[Vtec44]

I see people pay money for blown out highlights, underexposed, poorly composed images. And i got to asking myself why??
I know that done look and say "catch light is too low" but do they know a bad image from a good one?

For me a a good image should generate some sort of emotions either for the general population, a specific group of viewers, or a particular viewer. An image should tell a story through lighting, poses, colors, composition, and expression. So while most people can't tell what is a good technical image, they most often consider an image is good because it creates a personal connection. Yes, a good image can be technically imperfect.

My humble opinion...

 

[AlanKlein]

When you look at an image of someone you love, you fall in love all over again.

 

[petrochemist]

When you look at an image of someone you love, you fall in love all over again.

Does that explain the trend for so many selfies then??

 

[AlanKlein]

When you look at an image of someone you love, you fall in love all over again.

Does that explain the trend for so many selfies then??

Yes probably. Ever notice how people complain about how they look in a group shot or a shot when they are on a trip even if it's a great shot? If there's one thing that they don;t like about themselves, the whole shot is bad. Photos are very personal. No one cares about the telephone pole going through their head only if they look good. Personal pictures are not viewed with composition or other photo qualities. On the other hand, this also goes for people you love. If you see you kid, you're not so concerned about photo qualities either. Should you be?

 

[Designer]

If you see you kid, you're not so concerned about photo qualities either. Should you be?

All the more reason to want a decent photo. If the client was at least somewhat cognizant of what constitutes a good photograph versus a poor one, he would naturally want his child's portrait to be of the good variety.

In my world, it's all about the education. To appreciate music, one should be somewhat familiar with good music, so as to be able to recognize it when he hears it. Same for photographs. Same for fashion. Same for his choice of housing or anything else that he thinks matters.

If, on the other hand, one is simply not familiar with good photography, then he will be satisfied with crumby photography and never know the difference.

 

[Grandpa Ron]

The majority of the folks look at a photo and like it or do not like it.

Quality, artistic license, and the opinion of others has little bearing on its appeal to others.