Can people tell a good photo from a bad one?

[jole_t]

"Can people tell a good photo from a bad one? "

 

Don't you think you need to define "good" and "bad" photo for your question to have any meaning. I didn't have to read your post to know where it was going though. "Good" photos to you are technically good, eh?

 

I was in the photography wing at the MOMA in NYC recently and most of the pictures were "bad" according to your measure.

 

 

As for anyone in the mall being able to take the same pictures. So what. What does that have to do with running a business. Negotiating the space, dealing with employees and customers. And everything else that goes into running a mall photo business. Taking the photo must be the least of the issues. The fact that I can make a tasty hamburger doesn't mean I can or want to run a hamburger joint.

[gregg.smith]

I'm going to vote a resounding, "no." I've never had a client who understood white balance, composition, the rule of thirds, depth of field or sometimes even focus. I echo the responses that said some of them can at least tell mine are better than their junk shot off $99 point-and-shoots, but basically the clients really struggle. I have a whole file of my BRILLIANCE that the client ignored.

[petitesbijoux]

<p>Just wanted to say that I recently did Santa photos as a marketing strategy for myself and a few other kid-related businesses in my area. It was a totally different experience than the one client at a time I usually have. We got really busy and I didn't have any help (couldn't afford it at the rate I charged) so I wasn't able to spend time with each kid and get the photos just right. However, most people didn't care b/c I think they view assembly line Santa pictures as sub-par and feel it's not a big deal if they don't turn out like a portrait. I personally see it that way, although, I did go above and beyond what the local mall did. We actually had a lot of kids there who had already taken a picture with Santa and came to ours too. One customer took both Santa photos and spent $800 at another studio on nice portraits.</p><div></div>

[leif_goodwin8]

<p>The answer to the question is no.<br>

The Saturday Telegraph is a major newpaper in the UK. There is a pullout section on gardening. Quite often the photo on the front - A3 size - is very very poor. One recently had a bee on a flower. The head and eyes were out of focus. The backside was in focus. I would have binned the photo. Go figure!</p>