What makes a Photograph interesting?

Below are the 5 main topics which I think make a Photograph interesting.

Simplicity

When looking or taking a photograph, it could be useful to think about the simplicity of the photograph. Simple photographs are very often more interesting and more effective than photos with an action shot for example. If the photo has a very busy and cluttered background, it can sometimes be best to have a simple background instead. This is so that the viewer or audience focus on what the photograph is for or the purpose, like a portrait. If the photograph is of a flower in a field then, it is important to focus on that one flower. If you did not focus on the one alone flower, then the background is cluttered and filled with other objects, which will catch the audience’s attention, thus not paying attention to the main image. This can make the photograph very interesting to the audience or viewer.

Composition

The composition means the arrangement of the objects, or where they are situated in the photographic frame. This can be very important when creating a photograph, as it can be used to entice or to bring in the interest of the viewer or audience. If you are taking a picture of a building then take in mind that these buildings may be symmetrical (Or close enough) which is a good effect. So I think that symmetrical objects look good if it was in the centre of the photograph. But when taking other photographs like of nature, or a flower for example. Then it may be best to fit the main object on the left or to the right of the photograph. Depending on the angle of the object in focus. (Rule of Thirds). This certainly makes me interested in a photograph which uses a good composition. It makes the photo look more modernized and exciting.

Lighting

This is another extremely important element in the creating of a good photograph. I think this is important, as it is light, which allows us to see what is in the photograph. In order to create a good quality photograph, you will need a good quality light source, doesn’t matter if it is natural or artificial light. The light can help to give a focus on a particular part of an image of photograph, and can help to give a dynamic sense to any photo. But sometimes it may be good to include a contrast between the light and dark light sources. So like a bright and vibrant field, with a dark and cloudy sky. Or a city in the night, the bright street and city lights, against such a dark element. This can entice and interest the viewer or audience, as the lighting gives the photo its own unique and interesting personality.

Shot size

This is not necessarily the size of the photograph, but it is the size of the main object of the photograph. For example, if you are taking a photograph of a Rabbit, how close up will you have the main image, which is the Rabbit. Will it be quite small, in order to fit other objects into the scene, or larger so that the Rabbit takes up the majority of the photograph size. This can depend on the situation. If there is a good background, like a sunset then maybe a smaller shot size may be in order so that the Rabbit and the sunset work together. But if you want to focus in on the expression on the creatures face, like eating for example, then a close up will be far more effective. This helps to give the photo a personal and unique appearance, as the different shot sizes can entice the viewers into looking further into the photograph.

The main focal point

Once you have decided on what you want your viewer’s eyes to be drawn towards then it can be a very appealing idea to focus the camera onto a specific point in the image. If you are taking a photograph of a flower in the foreground, overlooking a field, with a sunset. Then to draw the audience away from the background, and to focus upon the flower itself. It could be a good idea to maybe focus of the petals, in order to preserve the beauty of the flower. By focusing on the flower, it will blur out the background, which will yet again get the audience or viewers’ attention on the flower, and not the background. This method crosses over with the ‘simplicity’ importance in a photograph. Macro can be good for getting good quality close up’s and focal points in a photograph. I believe that this can be a very important factor when trying to create an interesting photo as the detail in the main focal point can be very appealing to the eye.

A Photograph which I find interesting:

 I find this photograph interesting because it uses many of the factors and techniques that I have talked about. To start, it is quite a simple photograph, as it is a field, but the photographer has obviously used many other factors to make this flower scene look far more interesting. The composition is good in this photo because the main subject, (which is the collection of flowers and grasses close up on the right section of the photo) is not centre. Here the Rule of Thirds has been used to give the photo a more interesting appearance. The light source is from the upper right of the scene, most probably sun rise or sunset. (Given the angle from the shadows) The Sun rise or set gives off more of an orange glow than the normal sun. This shows that the photographer has thought about the lighting, and the light is in a perfect spot. It shows structure in the photograph. The main image in the photograph is easily visible, because of the size of the flower. This is a very interesting photograph.