A Good Eye

You know, people tend to do one (or more) of three things when they look at photographs.

Usually when given a number of photos they will just flip through them, occasionally pausing over photos with subjects that are of interest to them. For most of us this means ‘people’ especially if it is people we know, or know of.

After this sometimes when they pause they might offer a comment as they pause over a specific photo such as, “Oh, that’s nice!” Or, “Wow!” Maybe if you’re lucky they might offer a, “Hey! That’s great!”

Lastly they might offer this glowing complement, one of great appreciation, for your skill as a photographer, “You’ve got a really good eye.”

So, “a good eye,” what does it mean to have a good eye? This would have to be one of the most ephemeral terms in photography.

Most people have an intuitive appreciation for a good image, but when asked to quantify what makes it so good, they’re left flip-flopping like a rather unpleasantly surprised fish, that’s just been landed on some dock.

A Good Eye is the result of a combination of a number of elements that over time have become essential for the creation of a good image, or photograph as is the case here. According to the ’experts’ there are generally six elements that contribute to the making of a good photo. These are:

1. Light and Shade
2. Proportion and Perspective
3. Colour and Contrast
4. Balance and Harmony
5. Symmetry and Shape, and
6. Framing and Cropping.

A Good Eye refers to then, the appealing juxtaposition of all these elements, in such a way, that:
a) the subject is clear and easily identified
b) the compositional elements lead us to, or provide comment on the principle subject; and
c) all relevant details are clear and sharp, while any districting details are minimised or removed from consideration.

Simple huh? And, as about as clear as mud.

It is my experience that many people are only subconsciously aware of the more ephemeral aspects of light and how it is recorded as a photo. i.e. they know what they like but can’t really explain why. Thus, I tend to believe that most people prefer, or have a strong affinity for, a clearly and easily recognised subject. This is so as they don’t have to work too hard to work out what is this picture about.

Next, people are intensely curious about living things interacting (or at least the suggestion of interaction, e.g. the “don’t get me wet” statue) in some engaging way. In addition, people love to explore the intimate detail of a subject, especially if it belongs to a subject area that they have a keen interest in: thus macro images become an exploration of detail usually too small to examine under normal circumstances; and, patterns, shapes and lines become meditative mandelas that allow the mind to escape into momentary daydreams.
Lastly, I strongly feel that, ‘A Good Eye’ refers to how well a photographer aligns the various objects in the image, either using the ‘rule of thirds’ or some other deliberate compositional guide, in order to draw the viewer irrevocably into the picture and keep them there, exploring the entire confines of the picture frame. It’s an admirable photographic aim.

Another aim, one of the core aims of LENZ is to share knowledge about how photographers can take better pictures, how models can improve their performance in front of the camera, and, to give supporting persons the opportunity to improve their skills through hands on practical and interaction with others.

We aim to do this through organised events, competitions and feedback, and articles like this one. Stay with us and during the next few articles, we will explore some simple and practical techniques aimed at developing your understanding of each of the above six elements and how to implement them to improve your photography. These are the basics and are independent of whether you use digital or film.

Here’s looking at you… through the LENZ.

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Submitted by Tsc Tempest, DCA