Photographic vision....

Maybe a bit philosophical, but, do you ever wonder about your ability to "see" a good photograph? I guess this really comes into play when creating photographs for other people but I often notice that what I think are wonderful photographs, others can easily shrug off. On the other hand, some photos that I nearly delete and am almost embarrassed to show, can be someone elses absolute favorite of the bunch. Sometimes I wonder, as a photographer and as an individual, if I "see" photographs differently from the general public. I think a photographer is quick to notice the technical flaws such as the WB being off a bit, a slightly missed focal point or an "improper" crop cutting off a hand while those flaws go largely un-noticed by the non-photographic community....but is there more to it? I often wonder about my ability to "see" the emotion in photographs. I wonder about what makes a photograph great....and would I even be able to know a great photograph if I were to see it? When I do a session for someone else, I can think the images are absolutely awesome but I really can't be sure until the client has a chance to look them over and confirm my thoughts. Photographs are so subjective that one persons awesome is another persons awful. I really would love to be able to see photographs through other peoples eyes....just to know how they "see".

The point of this post was just to throw out some of the things that have been floating through my mind about photography....no real questions to answer or anything. If you've ever thought about this or have any comments to add, please do

I have no real answer but struggle with the same thought process all the time.

My wife, whilst always being supportive, is never an encouraging sounding board because she often just isn't taken with the images that I think are special...likewise the ones she loves are usually the ones I don't!

On the other hand, I'm glad she doesn't just mirror my thoughts because that'd be even worse...

Basically what I was trying to say in a sense with this thread I started...

https://photography-on-the.net …9&highlight=Per​fect+Photo

In a way I was trying to get a sense of a photo through a different persons eyes... but it all comes back to "Rule Of Thirds" "Exposure" "Crop" "Whoever buys it" ect. the cliche answers.

Either way, I know exactly what your saying.

Yes, photography and any art is very subjective and highly based on personal preferences. I grew up in a family of artists (drawing, painting, and photography), so I have always been taught to look at pieces of art critically. While growing up, I definitely had my fair share of art courses and I noticed that there are so many people w/different tastes that you just can not please everyone. It is just about impossible. However, "liking" a photograph and "appreciating" a photograph is not the same, to me anyway. I think to be able to judge and critique, one needs some sort of context. You simply can not judge what you don't know, it just wouldn't be fair. Besides the technicalities of a photograph that we can judge (sharpness, composition, etc), the other element you mentioned was the emotions (if any) behind them. This is what I mean when you need context. When you know the time period, any applicable conflicts, the goals, or the visions of a certain photographer, you can be more adept to appreciate and see what they wanted to portray. The same applies w/other mediums of art.

I find the best seem to sneak up on you; when you don't put much planning or thought into it, or just accidentally drop/swipe-up your camera and click off a shot at the last minute. Could be an award winning shot.. or not. Could sell it for a million bucks, or not.. I think what's most important is satisfying yourself, first.

When I try to create a photo to match a vision of mine, it is usually VERY difficult. And it's not that I have a high standard of vision or anything; it's just that my skills aren't that good. However, I sometimes get what I want.

Lucking into great photos is awesome but less satisfying.

My 'eye' tends to be more about colors, textures and contrast, and since the camera sensor is so much less capable than my actual eye, compositions based on these inevitably disappoint me. Some can be saved with some PP but generally I've learned that the spectacular scenes that I see cannot often be captured on film.

That leaves creative composition (subjects/framing/ligh​ting/etc) and I do think that seeing great compositions that are not just about color/texture/contrast is a weak area for me. Going on photo walks with other people is great for developing this.

I know before I go to a location what I want to shoot. I already have an idea of how I need to set-up to take that shot. I know which camera/lens will get the job done. I know what I want to do with the photo when I get home. I can see the photo in my mind before I get there and I know what time of day I should be there to have that image turn out.

When I get to a location I sometimes find surpises that also interest me and I try to be ready. For example if I'm going to Hawaii I may not be going to shoot surfers but knowing they are there I'll have a long lens with me. Yes, I can picture in my mind what my surfer shot should be.

It is photographic vision. I plan on shots that I vision as being winners not snapshots. If they are winners then a lot of people will agree and buy.

I struggle with the difference between taking a picture of a cool/beautiful/whateve​r subject and taking a cool/beautiful/whateve​r picture of a cool/beautiful/whateve​r subject. I think this is common in the automotive world... lots of really cool cars, and lots of ehhh pictures of them.

Denny G wrote in post #11941394
It is photographic vision. I plan on shots that I vision as being winners not snapshots. If they are winners then a lot of people will agree and buy.

But....even when everything turns out just as you envisioned and you think that you have a wonderful photo, that doesn't mean that it is in the eyes of someone else. What if you absolutely love a photo that you created...you think it's one of your best works ever....but you can't find another person to agree. They obviously see it a different way than you do. Is there any way to know if a photo is great without getting the opinion of others?....Sure, it can be wonderful and great in our own eyes but will it be as well received by the vast majority of everyone else?....Can you know without asking?
Again, this is philosophical, there's no way that I've found to quantify a great photo through the eyes of others. This deals with peoples perceptions, thoughts and minds so there's no step 1, step 2, step 3 that can be laid out.

jra wrote in post #11941547
But....even when everything turns out just as you envisioned and you think that you have a wonderful photo, that doesn't mean that it is in the eyes of someone else. What if you absolutely love a photo that you created...you think it's one of your best works ever....but you can't find another person to agree. They obviously see it a different way than you do. Is there any way to know if a photo is great without getting the opinion of others?....Sure, it can be wonderful and great in our own eyes but will it be as well received by the vast majority of everyone else?....Can you know without asking?
Again, this is philosophical, there's no way that I've found to quantify a great photo through the eyes of others. This deals with peoples perceptions, thoughts and minds so there's no step 1, step 2, step 3 that can be laid out.

In the music world, there is a person with a role called "Producer" and it is this person's job to have the ears of "everyone else" and make decisions about the music based on his or her opinion. In photography, this role is typically placed upon the photographer (since really it's usually a one-man show). Therefore, for a successful photographer anyway, it would be his or her job to have the eyes of "everyone else."

It is through this that we have the design principles we do, like rule of thirds, etc. etc. -- those "rules" are based on the collective's opinion on what looks "best" to the most number of people.

I believe some things possess this inherent thing called 'quality' and some things just don't.
Some people, many, most, probably can recognize quality regardless as to whether or not such thing suits their taste or not.
The rest are pretty much happy with, and can't distinguish the difference from, any piece of crap.

jra wrote in post #11941547
But....even when everything turns out just as you envisioned and you think that you have a wonderful photo, that doesn't mean that it is in the eyes of someone else. What if you absolutely love a photo that you created...you think it's one of your best works ever....but you can't find another person to agree. They obviously see it a different way than you do. Is there any way to know if a photo is great without getting the opinion of others?....Sure, it can be wonderful and great in our own eyes but will it be as well received by the vast majority of everyone else?....Can you know without asking?
Again, this is philosophical, there's no way that I've found to quantify a great photo through the eyes of others. This deals with peoples perceptions, thoughts and minds so there's no step 1, step 2, step 3 that can be laid out.

You never know what will sell and what won't. Opinions and perceptions is not what I'm looking for. I look to get the best I can and something just tells me when it's going to be a winner.

I face this a lot too. I've about given up on relying on others opinions and just shoot what feels right to me. However, I don't shoot full-time for a living either, so I imagine it's different.

However, I still believe it's the best way to go and the true greats out there, don't bother with shooting to trends and common likes. They shoot the way they like and if they're good, generally people will follow.

Trying to make money to live on and still being able to keep that notion is rather tough though, I'm sure.

jra wrote in post #11938553
Maybe a bit philosophical, but, do you ever wonder about your ability to "see" a good photograph?

No. But sometimes I don't see the flaws until I bring it up in my computer.

jra wrote in post #11941547
But....even when everything turns out just as you envisioned and you think that you have a wonderful photo, that doesn't mean that it is in the eyes of someone else. What if you absolutely love a photo that you created...you think it's one of your best works ever....but you can't find another person to agree. They obviously see it a different way than you do. Is there any way to know if a photo is great without getting the opinion of others?....Sure, it can be wonderful and great in our own eyes but will it be as well received by the vast majority of everyone else?....Can you know without asking?
Again, this is philosophical, there's no way that I've found to quantify a great photo through the eyes of others. This deals with peoples perceptions, thoughts and minds so there's no step 1, step 2, step 3 that can be laid out.

The answer is no. Your work has to illicit an emotional response from the audience. It has to do with context and how knowledgeable your audience is. Just because someone does not like your work, it does not mean they aren't good. You need to find the right audience.