What is a Great Photograph?

You don't take a photograph, you make it. - Ansel  Adams

 A good photograph is an image that effectively communicates the feelings of the photographer.

In order to achieve this goal of a great photograph you need to analyse the scene, decide on your subject and work at focusing attention on the subject.
The subject tells a story, invokes a memory or touches an emotion. So how do you get this in a photograph? Start with your subject. Take time to think about what your subject is. Every photograph has a subject. The subject could be a person, an object, a majestic vista or even a pattern. The subject is the reason why you are taking the photograph.

Once you decide what the subject is and the story you are trying to tell you need to analyse the scene. What is in the scene that you can use to draw attention to the subject? Is there something in the scene that will remove attention from the subject? What techniques with the shutter speed and aperture of your camera can you use to improve the subjects focus?  
To become proficient at taking great photographs it in important to understand the tools that you use to capture the image. To achieve this we will examine the camera and how the shutter and aperture work to produce the image.

Before you press the shutter button take the time to think about:

1] What is the image that you are trying to capture?

2] How can you highlight the subject?

3] What distractions draw your attention away from the subject?

As you become more practiced at thinking like this you will find it becoming second nature.

By using a combination of technique, shutter speed and aperture you can achieve a fantastic photograph. Please read on and stop being a snap shooter and become a photographer. The next article will discuss the tool you will use to capture your photograph, the Camera.