What makes a good photographer

Mr G

Mr G

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As the title says....What makes a good photographer in your opinion?

Bit of an open question but it would be intresting to here different peoples perspective....;)
 
One that helps old people across the road, holds the door open for ladies, gives up his/her seat on the bus for those less able.
 
Canon :)
 
His audiance for his images....
 
In the commercial world it all starts with good ears. If your not really listening to what your client wants, you're not going to deliver the right images.

Being able to create those images once you know what they are helps too. :)
 
On scrolling the net I came up with 7 points...


1.Plan Your Composition
2.Know Your Subject.
3.Control Your Lighting
4.Know Your Equipment.
5.Learn the Zone System
6.Learn About Color.
7.Recognize the Moment.

Just my opinion :D:D
 
Mike Jackson said:
One that helps old people across the road, holds the door open for ladies, gives up his/her seat on the bus for those less able.
Click to expand...

Depending on the type of photography.....

I have seen a photo, of 10 or so photographers taking pics of someone dying/bleeding to death all less than a 1m away all leaning in just taking pictures.... something I could never do!!
 
I personally think, what makes a good photographer, is a desire to improve.

the more you improve the better you get.
 
ability to take a good photograph with any equipment
 
Mr G said:
On scrolling the net I came up with 7 points...


1.Plan Your Composition
2.Know Your Subject.
3.Control Your Lighting
4.Know Your Equipment.
5.Learn the Zone System
6.Learn About Color.
7.Recognize the Moment.

Just my opinion :D:D
Click to expand...

I am finding nuber 6 really interesting at the moment. 45 years old and never really noticed color before:bonk:
 
I would have to say timing, many things like colours, exposure, etc can be correct after the event but this is not one of them......

Edit: just like this post, correct should have said corrected haha :LOL:
 
I'm going to stick my head on the block here and add another dimension to this. Let's remember that being labelled as a good photographer is a matter of an individual or goup opinion - so Perception plays a part in what may or may not make a good photographer. I've been on 2 websites today - each belonging to a professional photographer. Each of these photographers seems to be able to attract good models to their studio by offering a service as professional photographer. To shore this up, each has posted several positive comments about their work by some of those they have photographed. However, Google the individuals concerned and one finds that each also has profiles elsewhere, each profile containing similar comments about their abilities from the same people that have already commented on the personal websites; so we have a tidy little click going on as well. The reason that I add Perception to the conversation is quite simple: I don't profess to produce the greatest images myself but some of the images that these 2 photgraphers have produced and show on their websites are just absolutely awful, incorrect exposure, unflattering, poor poses (anyone can take photo of a girls arse in flat lighting), a poor understanding of lighting ratios and a very poor grasp of some basic post processing techniques. But these photographers are seen as good photographers and why........Perception, created through the use of personal links and because they advocate themselves to be good because they use the term 'Professional'. I see many images on this and other forums posted by people who call themselves amateurs that are vastly superior to those I saw on the 2 'professional' sites today. But some will never regard those of us amateurs as good photographers because we are just that - amateurs. Please don't get me wrong, the vast majority of professional photographers produce the most fabulous images that I could only hope of achieving - but the 2 of which I speak are clearly not good photographers - and yet people see them as such.

So, whilst I agree with all that has been written above my post, rightly or wrongly I feel that Perception alone can also make a reputation for being a 'good photographer'.
 
dazzajl said:
In the commercial world it all starts with good ears. If your not really listening to what your client wants, you're not going to deliver the right images.

Being able to create those images once you know what they are helps too. :)
Click to expand...

Sort of on the same lines.

Being able to produce images that are wanted by others.

Whether that be a work of art somebody sees and loves, or a comission.:)

However on a more basic note, the ability to take a good photo...;)
 
It depends who is making the assertion that a photographer is good and by what standard they are judging I think. Here I'm average at best, on another (non photography related) forum I'm lauded for my 'stunning' images.

In the land of the blind the one eyed man is king.
 
Don't confuse technical ability with commercial ability.

So long as the shot of someones derrierre sells and the client is happy with it then who are we to criticise it?

If everyone stuck to the "rules" and used the same lighting ratios for the same subject then everyone would be taking the same images. No? Derivative nonsense IMHO. Yes you do need to learn it but you also have the creative freedom to NOT apply it when you choose. Photography is supposed to be a creative medium and I find it tedious at best that people constantly wish to pigeon hole images.

Take good old white background stuff, tedious to shoot but it sells. Now even those who excel at it will tell you that it has about a year to 18 months left to run before it goes out of style, so what is going to replace it? Hopefully environmental portraiture but who knows. If we are all still stuck indoors overexposing backgrounds who is going to break out of it and go and shoot the next big thing commercially?

I've always said that if you are going to criticise those who do it professionally, give up the day job and go and do it better. If they are attracting the right people to the studio and they are spending money there then who has it right?
 
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