How to take a good photo?

Anyone who picks up a camera and wants to capture something, wants to take good photos. What exactly constitutes a good photo is difficult to determine.

Photo: Tycho Atsma via Unsplash

What exactly constitutes a good photo is difficult to determine. The criteria for a good photo are different for everyone. One person wants a razor-sharp photo in which everything is perfectly displayed, another wants to capture a blurred, abstract representation of something. And everything in between!

Temper your expectations

One of the most important lessons I have learned is to temper your expectations. Let's assume for a moment that you have a certain goal to photograph. Perhaps you want to focus on street photography and you have a particular photo or photographer in mind that serves as your inspiration. Because photographer X is always so good at capturing striking personalities in great situations. Or you dream away at the landscape photos of photographer Y, who can produce an image at the perfect time using the best lenses and polarizing filters. Studio portraits by photographer Z, who can manipulate the lighting like no other.

But maybe you don't …