Making Photographs Interesting

Making Photographs Interesting

by William Lulow

First of all, really interesting photographs draw the viewers into the scene or make them want to understand the subject more. A good image makes you want to view it more, sometimes even stare at it to soak up all the details. 

This image of gondolas on the Grand Canal in Venice makes you want to look at it to take in all the details of the unusual crafts themselves. The vertical pylons to which these boats are tethered provide a vertical element to an otherwise horizontal image. The church in the background is sufficiently lit, but is also a bit hazy which directs the viewer’s eye more to the gondolas themselves which are darker. The interest is created by the counter-action of the vertical and horizontal elements in the image. 

This is St. Peter’s Square in Rome with many rows of empty seats, having been just filled with people celebrating a new pope. The gray color of the seats is a stark contrast to the warmth of the buildings in the background and create an interest just in terms of the coloration. There are so many chairs that it conveys an actual feeling of loneliness even though it was the middle of the day and there were people all around the square:

Second, really interesting images have something intrinsic that is classic. It could be a composition that attracts the eye. It could be a special lighting or a reflection. Or it could be just the subject matter and the way it’s presented as in this panorama of Florence, Italy complete with all the major details of this ancient city:

This image of Peggy’s Cove in Nova Scotia has a lot of interest with the colors and reflections. It’s almost like a painting. 

This portrait, made in New York City with a long lens, throws the background out of focus and draws attention the the subject’s face.

Here, the interest is created by the blur of the high speed action of a New York Rangers’ hockey player. 

So, viewers of photographs have to ask themselves what about the images catches and holds their attention. If they can point to one or two elements in an image that attracts them, then they can explain what makes it really good. 

There are many elements that combine to make a photograph really good. Some of these are: subject matter, exposure, sharpness, composition, print quality and view-ability. This last item can include such things as photograph size, mounting, framing and overall presentation. Sometimes a large print is very effective, other times a small print, if tastefully matted and framed can draw attention. 

As far as print quality goes, a photograph should have all the tones represented in the print. In Black&White images as well as color ones, there should be detail in the highlights as well as in the shadows. Everything intended to be sharp should be sharp. Here’s an example of a Black&White picture that meets these requirements:

Here, all the tonal qualities are present and interest is created with the composition’s leading lines. And, here is a color image which creates interest by a single color that stands out:

So, all of these qualities make images that are really interesting to look at and have some kind of impact. And that should be the goal whenever you make your images.