{"id":52739,"date":"2017-06-12T20:23:25","date_gmt":"2017-06-13T03:23:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/?p=52739"},"modified":"2017-06-12T22:55:12","modified_gmt":"2017-06-13T05:55:12","slug":"what-makes-a-good-photo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2017\/06\/12\/what-makes-a-good-photo\/","title":{"rendered":"What Makes a Good Photo?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

Dear friend,<\/p>\n

I’m very interested in aesthetics, and what makes a “good” photo– or an aesthetically pleasing image, which causes our soul to quiver.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

I. Tension<\/h2>\n
\"\"
Fashion District in Downtown La, 2011 \/\/ ERIC KIM<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A good photo needs tension. Some drama. Something about<\/em> to happen. The writer Geoffrey Dyer calls this the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153pregnant moment\u00e2\u20ac\u009d– the moment before<\/em> the decisive moment.<\/p>\n

For example, the moment before<\/em> the woman wipes the sweat off her boyfriend. Or the moment before<\/em> the Lamborghini exits the frame of a photo.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

If think about sexual relationships: if we watch a film, we like to see the “build up” of the drama of a couple before<\/em> something happens.<\/p>\n

Even with comedy– a good story happens because there is a “build up” and a tension before the punch-line. Without tension, a joke wouldn’t work.<\/p>\n

How to capture tension in your photos:<\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Practical ways to capture more tension in your photos:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Capture people about<\/em> to enter or exit the frame.<\/li>\n
  2. Capture hand gestures<\/li>\n
  3. Capture tension in the eyes of your subject.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    II. Emotion<\/h2>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    A photo or image without emotion is dead.<\/p>\n

    A photo with emotion: evokes excitement, fear, resentment, joy, sadness, or anxiety.<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    A tip for yourself, look at your own photo and ask yourself:<\/p>\n

    \n Does this photo make me feel<\/em> something?\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    What kind of emotion does your photo evoke?<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    For myself, I am a social cynic and critic. Most of my photos are pretty depressing. My SUITS<\/a> project shows men stuck in shitty jobs, that are stressful, although well paying. It is a reaction against what I felt when I worked corporate — I felt like a slave.<\/p>\n

    However more recently, I’m making personal photos of Cindy. These photos are a dynamic opposite: I am celebrating positivity, life, happiness, and the joyful struggle of our relationship.<\/p>\n

    \"\"
    My mom.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    If my photos don’t cause my viewer to feel something in their heart, I’ve failed as a photographer.<\/p>\n

    Assignment: Photograph joy and sorrow<\/h3>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    For an entire day, photograph only joy. The next day, only photograph sorrow. Make a photo series with 5 joyful photos, and 5 sad photos. See if you can actually feel the emotion in your photos.<\/p>\n

    III. Be opinionated.<\/h2>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    I want to see your opinion in your photos.<\/p>\n

    Reality is all interpretation. You create your own reality with your photos.<\/p>\n

    Why?<\/p>\n

    You decide what to include in your photos, and more importantly, what to exclude<\/em> from your photos.<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    We both might walk down the same block, and you photograph happy kids playing. I might ignore that, and photograph the lonely man with his fist against his chin. We see the same thing, but there is something that causes us to photograph different things.<\/p>\n

    It is your opinion or perspective of the world.<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    Are you an optimist? Pessimist? Cynic? Social justice warrior? Bloodthirsty capitalist? Who are you? And do your photos show your opinion and soul?<\/p>\n

    All photos are opinion.<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Assignment: Show your opinion on a social issue<\/h3>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    This assignment is to photograph gentrification. Aka, when rich people come into a poor neighborhood and build a \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Whole Foods\u00e2\u20ac\u009d expensive grocery store.<\/p>\n

    How do you feel about it? Make a photo series on gentrification, limited to 10 images. Show your opinion, whether good, bad, or something in between.<\/p>\n

    Conclusion<\/h2>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    Obviously there are a lot more things on what makes a good or bad photo– like composition, simplicity, minimalism, layers, etc.<\/p>\n

    But ultimately what makes a good photo for me: making photos true to your personal artistic and opinionated view of the world.<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    The world needs your opinion and perspective. So never water that down.<\/p>\n

    Be STRONG,
    \nERIC<\/p>\n

    \"\"
    He passed away a year after I made this portrait.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
    \n

    PHOTOGRAPHY 101<\/a><\/h2>\n

    \"Seoul,<\/p>\n

    If you’re new to photography, start here:<\/p>\n