I suppose that I’ll start off with the ending: I don’t know, exactly, what makes a good photograph.
This morning, I awoke and decided to visit somewhere that I’d never been. After narrowing it down to a few choices, I decided on Riverbank Zoo and Botanical Gardens in Columbia, SC, about 90 minutes from where I live. I love zoos. If you love animals, they are a wonderful opportunity to see animals, up close and personal that you might not ever get to see in the wild.
I stayed about 2 hours until the temperature reached the 90+ degree mark, then decided to head for home. After importing my images, I saw that I had 148. After a quick first one of viewing, I was able to cut that down to about 132, as 16 of them where technically flawed – out of focus, mainly. Of those remaining 132, I had about 5 or 6 that I liked. Therefore, 6/148 made the ‘cut’, or about 4%. Nothing unusual, though, and nothing disheartening. This photo of a Eurasian Eagle Owl was one that I liked. Several others that I took of him didn’t quite connect with me … even though it was my intent to make shots count, to capture ‘something’ with each shot – 96% of the time, it just doesn’t happen, but those 4% that it does happen, makes it all worthwhile.
What is that connection, I wonder? What makes a photograph work? Some say that photo has to stand on its own and tell a story. I heartily disagree with this premise, as there is no story, only a very tiny slice of time. Any story assigned to/placed upon the picture is the viewer’s own. Perhaps, then, it is that the photo allows the viewer to care enough to stop, wonder, and place their own story upon it. Probably, you do not see the same story that I did, or have the same sense of wonder, or maybe the subject does not interest you at all.
Sometimes, I do attempt to tell a story, as one usually unfolds if you stand there and watch long enough. I was watching the interactions between an adult and a juvenile baboon. The younger one was playing and basically harassing the older one, as kids are wont to do, eventually, the older one let the younger know that it wasn’t playtime. I tried to capture some of their interactions, but didn’t quite pull it off. This was the best that I could do – this was an ‘almost’ shot, but it is missing something. It looks, to me, like a therapy session. LOL
I guess that the ever-continuing quest for knowledge of what makes a good photograph keeps me going, especially in light of a 4% success rate. 
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I love both of the photographs. The second one really tells a story and the black and white look really slams the story home, at least to me.
The Eurasian Eagle Owl photograph almost looks like a painting to me. The bokeh is interesting to me also. Can you tell us what camera and lens combo that you used with both photographs? I will guess the D300 for the top photograph with a medium zoom, and the D300 with a wide angle for the bottom one.
I am most likely wrong on both guesses! Also both photos- handheld or tripod?
Thanks Paul for sharing these.
Bill McDonald
Bill Mcdonald recently posted..The Nikon Coolpix P510 takes on the U.S.S. Iowa, BB-61
Well, Bill – it should come as no surprise, I used the Nikon P-510 for both shots. The top @435mm, the bottom @250mm. I like the ability of the long telephoto to completely blur out bars and fencing. The owl was behind a wire mesh. When I put the image into LR, I just boosted the contrast quite a bit to get a crisp, clean look, as if the mesh were not there at all. The background is of that same mesh, but it had a green cover over it as well, with small holes in it.
The baboons were out in the open, though. Thanks for your comments/compliments, Bill.
Paul, I am really surprised. The owl shot I was thinking would require a very fast framing with the evf and even faster autofocus and capture which led me to believe it was from the D300 as well as the overall image look and quality, the whole thing said slr to me, plus the image does have a film-like look as well. The second photo I thought might have been from the P510 but couldn’t imagine someone carrying both.
Since I own the P510, I am delighted on one hand to see what it is capable of, and also disappointed in myself for not thinking of taking it to a zoo
The stock of this camera is definitely going up in this man’s eyes!
The owl was very cooperative in that he had something interesting to look at.
I was lucky on the auto focus, because you well know how slow that AF is on the P-510. I’m certainly pleased with the camera and am always looking for places to carry it.
I will be bringing both it and my D700 to Cali!
It’s not that much extra to carry.
Right on Paul! It seems most of my 3-4% are those slices of time rather than telling a story. I’ve read about the idea of an image(s) that tell a story but not all of them do that. I shoot because it feels good inside of me, something I enjoy.
Monte Stevens recently posted..High Park Fire Update
Monte, that’s probably the best reason of all, because it feels good inside of us. I couldn’t agree more!
I have heard the same over and over about telling the story. While I agree it can make a photograph better if it does indeed do that, sometimes it does so in a language only the photographer who made it understands.
I don’t think it should be stated as a requirement for any photo to be considered “good.”
I read recently a quote that was passed on: “A good photograph is one that you like…”
Mark recently posted..Sister Island Rock Iguanas
The second picture looks like a story, I love it. The first one is amazing too. Thanks a lot for sharing these tips on how to make a photograph. I will have to apply some of them.
Audrey Ryanes recently posted..kimkardashiantapenews.com
Thanks, Audrey. When I look back at it, it does look like a story telling session, or something.
I don’t know what makes a good photo either, but I know what I like, and I like both of these photos, especially the first. The cage wire in the background is subtle and actually gives it a bit of extra interest. I realize that having a 100:0 good to bad photo ratio is never possible and actually 4% is pretty decent with some outings better than others.
I’ve always thought the relationship between story telling and photography can be very distant (and difficult) at times.
ken bello recently posted..elegance
Ken, even with how frustrating photography can be, I don’t think that I would want a 100% success rate. Seriously. Talk about boring. I like to work for it, and I do like a nice little surprise every now and again.
As far as story telling, assuming project/multiple photos, versus a single photo … yes, indeed very different.
Both photos are excellent. Like most – I can’t say what makes a good photo, but I know it when I see it. It has to touch you. Some time ago I wrote on my blog about the “perfect” photo, an elusive idea at best where I pointed out you could have technically perfect photos (maybe!), but unless it provoked an emotional response, then to me it’s flawed. Good work!
John recently posted..The Colorless Country
I totally agree with you on the slice of time bit. I feel that explanation is probably more relevant (to my work anyway). Sometimes I guess my photos might tell a story but for the most part it just freezes time at that instant the shutter was released.
~ John
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