A Good Photo?

We are approaching the end of September and a third of the way into meteorological autumn and after what seems to be a slow start to the season, I am starting to see the first signs of the changes this season brings. The morning air is growing cooler, and nature’s palette is beginning to shift from the rich greens of the wet summer we’ve had, to warmer hues of red, orange and yellow as the trees show hints of the vibrant show of colour that is to come. However, it is the softer, golden light that the Sun now casts over the landscape that I welcome most. While this means good conditions for photography, it doesn’t necessarily mean that ‘good photos’ will follow. 

Autumn at the Pool I - The House Pool, River Shiel, Blain, Moidart

​A photograph can be considered good for a multitude of reasons and understanding why it is perceived as good involves looking at several key aspects, some of which are technical and relatively easy to understand, and others are more complex because they relate to how the viewer responds to its content.
 
A technically proficient photograph is often seen as good because it demonstrates the photographer's ability to use their equipment to get that technically correct photograph. In doing so:
 

1. It is exposed correctly and captures details in both the shadows and highlights.
2. It is in focus, with the main subject being sharp and clear to the viewer's eye.
3. It has the correct depth of field, so that layers in the image add dimension to it.
4. Its colour balance and contrast contribute to its visual appeal and realism.

 
If a photographer gets these things right, then the photograph should be pleasing to the eye and technically sound, but will it be good? Not necessarily because, for this technically sound photograph to be good, it needs to create an emotional connection with the viewer.
 
On a general level, a beautifully composed photograph with striking visuals can evoke an emotional response simply through its aesthetic appeal. The use of light, colour, and composition can create a sense of peace, joy or awe and I guess this is why photographs of vivid sunrises and sunsets get many likes and comments on social media where the viewing time can be measured in seconds and any emotional response needs to be immediate as a result.
 
However, I find it far more rewarding when the emotional response runs a lot deeper than that and the viewer personally connects with the image because it resonates with them as a result of some kind of memory.
 
Such memories can be nostalgic in nature, reminding the viewer of past times, places they have been, or people they have known and I have had many people buy photographic prints from me because they portray places on the Peninsula that they have visited often or have once lived.
 
Alternatively, photographs of places where significant life events such as engagements, weddings or anniversaries have occurred tend to resonate more deeply because they bring back personal memories of the emotions felt during such moments. This in turn creates a strong sense of connection and this, to me, is what creates a truly ‘good photograph’.
 
Take this month’s image showing the old bridge over the River Shiel at Blain surrounded by trees in their full autumn splendour. It may be a technically sound image, and it may have aesthetic appeal because of its vivid colours, but neither of these things cause me to consider it to be a truly ‘good photograph’. What does, is that I have had several people personally connect with it because it shows a location where they have experienced a significant life event, such as getting engaged or being married.
 
The emotional resonance arising from the interplay between the viewer’s recollection of these personal experiences and this photograph’s visual and aesthetic elements makes it not just a simple photo, but a medium for evoking deep-seated emotions, making it both compelling and memorable. It is exactly this that can make it and other photographs ‘good’.