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What are the qualities of a great photographer?

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Richard Feynman

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If someone objects to posting this here, a mod can move it to another forum, but it seemed to me this would be a great forum for it since it is filled with people who care about photography at a high level.

Qualities:
  • Technical Proficiency
  • Patience and Determination (willing to wait for a good shot, or trek for a day in the cold)
  • Good Eye (seeing what others don't in terms of staging a great shot)
  • Good Gear
What else? Comments?
 
Richard Feynman said:
If someone objects to posting this here, a mod can move it to another forum, but it seemed to me this would be a great forum for it since it is filled with people who care about photography at a high level.

Qualities:
  • Technical Proficiency
  • Patience and Determination (willing to wait for a good shot, or trek for a day in the cold)
  • Good Eye (seeing what others don't in terms of staging a great shot)
  • Good Gear
What else? Comments?
Click to expand...
Something to say. All of your qualities should be in service of something greater.
 
Richard Feynman said:
If someone objects to posting this here, a mod can move it to another forum, but it seemed to me this would be a great forum for it since it is filled with people who care about photography at a high level.

Qualities:
  • Technical Proficiency
  • Patience and Determination (willing to wait for a good shot, or trek for a day in the cold)
  • Good Eye (seeing what others don't in terms of staging a great shot)
  • Good Gear
What else? Comments?
Click to expand...
The ability to really listen.
 
Richard Feynman said:
If someone objects to posting this here, a mod can move it to another forum, but it seemed to me this would be a great forum for it since it is filled with people who care about photography at a high level.

Qualities:
  • Technical Proficiency
  • Patience and Determination (willing to wait for a good shot, or trek for a day in the cold)
  • Good Eye (seeing what others don't in terms of staging a great shot)
  • Good Gear
What else? Comments?
Click to expand...
WRT gear, I’d say appropriate gear. That might be a Holga.
 
Is good gear a quality of a great photographer, or an asset to a great photographer?
 
Richard Feynman said:
If someone objects to posting this here, a mod can move it to another forum, but it seemed to me this would be a great forum for it since it is filled with people who care about photography at a high level.

Qualities:
  • Technical Proficiency
  • Patience and Determination (willing to wait for a good shot, or trek for a day in the cold)
  • Good Eye (seeing what others don't in terms of staging a great shot)
  • Good Gear
What else? Comments?
Click to expand...
- Having the will to exceed standards

- Try to find your own photographic style and differentiate

- Look for the best composition for a given scenery

- Capturing the right moment but wait patiently as well if needed

- Using the available (even minimal) equipment as effective as possible

- Learn the golden rules but use and improve your own creativity and technical skills

- Learn from others how they work and attend various workshops frequently

- Try to get feedback and accept critizismen for published pictures to improve

- For payed jobs have a plan and target and use the right tools to deliver whats expected

- The quality of your digital workflow PP should be as consistent as other parts of the chain

- Just remember - money couldnt buy talent!

--
Stefan
 
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I think if you can get paid all the time and get more people wanting to hire you as they love your work you must be doing something right.

As for shooting overtime shooting a lot for years, you get to the point that you can just pick up the camera and know what your settings are going to be you want to use as it becomes natural and takes no thought as you and your camera become one for the most part.
 
NT
 
Among other things, patience and persistence.
 
JimKasson said:
Richard Feynman said:
If someone objects to posting this here, a mod can move it to another forum, but it seemed to me this would be a great forum for it since it is filled with people who care about photography at a high level.

Qualities:
  • Technical Proficiency
  • Patience and Determination (willing to wait for a good shot, or trek for a day in the cold)
  • Good Eye (seeing what others don't in terms of staging a great shot)
  • Good Gear
What else? Comments?
Click to expand...
Something to say. All of your qualities should be in service of something greater.
Click to expand...
This.

Its one thing to be able to make a pretty picture that you can look at, it’s another to use your abilities to fulfill a purpose. It’s what separates the great from the good.

At the end of the day, were you at the right place at the right time to do something for someone else? Have you inspired another? Did you start a dialogue and initiated a change?
 
Last edited:
JimKasson said:
Richard Feynman said:
If someone objects to posting this here, a mod can move it to another forum, but it seemed to me this would be a great forum for it since it is filled with people who care about photography at a high level.

Qualities:
  • Technical Proficiency
  • Patience and Determination (willing to wait for a good shot, or trek for a day in the cold)
  • Good Eye (seeing what others don't in terms of staging a great shot)
  • Good Gear
What else? Comments?
Click to expand...
Something to say. All of your qualities should be in service of something greater.
Click to expand...
Very true.

But a great photographer (or, in fact, every human being) also should have the ability to listen what the world is telling you - even if it contradicts your initial intentions.
 
It's a job

i.e. a profession.

It takes talent and skill. One approaches it as a professional, learning the craft. Learning how to communicate with an audience through the medium. And in the process, learn how to become invisible.

As for recognition, that is usually determined by the influencers for the specific genre. With the visual arts, the key arbitrators of taste tend to be the the gallery and museum curators who promote work by specific creators. Documentation and Journalism have different measures. At any rate, for professionals, peer recognition is probably the most sought after. And in the end, it's all about who the audience is.
 
mapgraphs said:
It's a job

i.e. a profession.
Click to expand...
I agree it is a job but there have been many great photographers wheo were not professional photographers (as well as many who are.)
mapgraphs said:
It takes talent and skill. One approaches it as a professional, learning the craft. Learning how to communicate with an audience through the medium. And in the process, learn how to become invisible.
Click to expand...
I ve agree strongly. Yet, at least in my experience of meeting, interviewing, and knowing some truly great photographers (most of whom are full tiem professional photographers) there always remains something of the enthusiastic amateur in them. I think that is what keeps them from becoming very competent hacks.
mapgraphs said:
As for recognition, that is usually determined by the influencers for the specific genre. With the visual arts, the key arbitrators of taste tend to be the the gallery and museum curators who promote work by specific creators. Documentation and Journalism have different measures. At any rate, for professionals, peer recognition is probably the most sought after. And in the end, it's all about who the audience is.
Click to expand...
 
Richard Feynman said:
If someone objects to posting this here, a mod can move it to another forum, but it seemed to me this would be a great forum for it since it is filled with people who care about photography at a high level.

Qualities:
  • Technical Proficiency
  • Patience and Determination (willing to wait for a good shot, or trek for a day in the cold)
  • Good Eye (seeing what others don't in terms of staging a great shot)
  • Good Gear
What else? Comments?
Click to expand...
Willing to take risks. (Not meaning the extreme free climbing genre.)

And a selfie stick: how else will you prove to your friends and IG followers that you actually took that amazing shot of Horseshoe Bend?

--
Moretti
"Things are more like they are now than they've ever been before."
 
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Ellis Vener said:
mapgraphs said:
It's a job

i.e. a profession.
Click to expand...
I agree it is a job but there have been many great photographers wheo were not professional photographers (as well as many who are.)
Ellis Vener said:
It takes talent and skill. One approaches it as a professional, learning the craft. Learning how to communicate with an audience through the medium. And in the process, learn how to become invisible.
Click to expand...
I ve agree strongly. Yet, at least in my experience of meeting, interviewing, and knowing some truly great photographers (most of whom are full tiem professional photographers) there always remains something of the enthusiastic amateur in them. I think that is what keeps them from becoming very competent hacks.
Ellis Vener said:
As for recognition, that is usually determined by the influencers for the specific genre. With the visual arts, the key arbitrators of taste tend to be the the gallery and museum curators who promote work by specific creators. Documentation and Journalism have different measures. At any rate, for professionals, peer recognition is probably the most sought after. And in the end, it's all about who the audience is.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
If one is truly professional, or is approaching their work professionally, as practitioners, one is constantly being challenged and looking for solutions. There is an element of problem solving and working for the elegant solution, avoiding the worst-case possibility. There is growth.

A hobbyist can grow and learn, a professional attempts to kick it to another level. We could define hacks as professionals that have reached a certain level of competence and are comfortable there. Or, perhaps we could define hacks as not having the professionalism to bring to their audience something more? This is a part of talent, or lack thereof. ; - )
 
Last edited:
mapgraphs said:
Ellis Vener said:
mapgraphs said:
It's a job

i.e. a profession.
Click to expand...
I agree it is a job but there have been many great photographers wheo were not professional photographers (as well as many who are.)
mapgraphs said:
It takes talent and skill. One approaches it as a professional, learning the craft. Learning how to communicate with an audience through the medium. And in the process, learn how to become invisible.
Click to expand...
I ve agree strongly. Yet, at least in my experience of meeting, interviewing, and knowing some truly great photographers (most of whom are full tiem professional photographers) there always remains something of the enthusiastic amateur in them. I think that is what keeps them from becoming very competent hacks.
mapgraphs said:
As for recognition, that is usually determined by the influencers for the specific genre. With the visual arts, the key arbitrators of taste tend to be the the gallery and museum curators who promote work by specific creators. Documentation and Journalism have different measures. At any rate, for professionals, peer recognition is probably the most sought after. And in the end, it's all about who the audience is.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
If one is truly professional, or is approaching their work professionally, as practitioners, one is constantly being challenged and looking for solutions. There is an element of problem solving and working for the elegant solution, avoiding the worst-case possibility. There is growth.
Click to expand...
This is all true.

Have you read Stephen Pressfield's book "The War of Art"? I highly recommend it.
mapgraphs said:
A hobbyist can grow and learn, a professional attempts to kick it to another level. We could define hacks as professionals that have reached a certain level of competence and are comfortable there. Or, perhaps we could define hacks as not having the professionalism to bring to their audience something more? This is a part of talent, or lack thereof. ; - )
Click to expand...
 
qtu said:
Is good gear a quality of a great photographer, or an asset to a great photographer?
Click to expand...
My 2c...

To me this comment is indirectly about the quality of the photographer... to be able to identify good gear.

In this context, I define good gear as something most practical for the given purpose without getting carried away, chasing after what might be the best in the world.

It is similar to any skilled trade that requires selecting the right tools for the job.
 
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