What makes a great photograph......?
It's a good question, and one that I asked myself many times when I started out. I would often look at a collection of recent photographs and wonder why certain shots were very pleasing to the eye and others were not!!
In the end I narrowed it down to three main points:
- Light
- Composition
- Emotion
Lullaby
When all 3 of these components come together, it can create a sublime image that is balanced in its composition, lit beautifully and one that makes you FEEL something.
Lighting:

Lighting is a key factor in creating a successful image. Not only does light determine the brightness and darkness of an image, but also it's mood, tone and atmosphere. Therefore, it is necessary to control and manipulate light correctly in order to get the best texture, vibrancy of colour and luminosity of your subject.
When using natural light, understanding the position of your light source and how it changes throughout the day is key.
Composition:
Ben Across The Thames
Composition describes the placement of key elements within an image that suits the core purpose or assists in the telling of the story. It can be used as a way of guiding a viewers eye towards the most important element of the photograph and relies on many different elements including, blur, light, other objects within the frame and colour and tone.
Emotion:

A photographs ability to convey emotion is what helps the viewer connect with the image. Emotion, or a feeling, is what can bring a snapshot out of obscurity and make it shine.
Your photograph should be your expression of what you see and feel through the viewfinder.
Over the coming weeks I'll cover each of these points in more detail and show you how to make the best of Light/Composition and how to inject Emotion into your shots.