LESSON 1: What's a good photo...?

This has to be the first thing that all of of us need to calibrate.. but here is my first Lemma:

Lemma 1: A good photo is something that connects emotionally with you..

Now this is really important.. since a lot of people jump immediately into framing, lighting, focus.. etc etc... its all bull shit.. a good photo like a good piece of art is something that connects with you... it reminds you of a past experience or a future potential... it makes a new pattern in your mind... and so on...

That is the reason for the photo to exist... here is one of the better photos I've taken with my iPhone...



Its something I happened to see on my way to work one morning.. I whipped out my iPhone and got it.. I claim this is a good photo for several reasons... and a lot of other people also liked it for what I assume is several other reasons...

EXERCISE 1: Find any 5 photos that you like and try to explain to yourself why you like these photos... what was the first thing that went through your mind when you saw them.. hopefully it wasn't framing...

So again.. a good photo creates an emotion within you... a good photo that you take therefore is a way of capturing an emotion that you feel at that moment using a camera and film... or a jpeg.. I really cannot over emphasize this point... photography is about communication... communication with a larger and very diverse audience...

Some people might say.. I just want to make a record of my baby or my travels... but the purpose there is to capture the emotions you feel at the time to enjoy them when you are old and in a chair... the purpose of that photo is to capture what you felt at that time...

EXERCISE 2: With the 5 photos you identified earlier, write down the emotions you felt when you saw them...