Top three traits

[riz]

<p>Hi,<br>

In your opinion; what are the <strong>top three</strong> <em>traits </em> of a good photographer.<br>

Riz</p>

[Matt Laur]

<p>A good photographer:<br /><br />1) Understands the physics of light, and how it relates to the desired results, given the tools at hand.<br /><br />2) Understands why he or she is making the photograph in the first place. Purposefulness is fundamental.<br /><br />3) Understands that being a photographer is like being a writer. There are too many reasons to shoot, and ways to do so, to sum up what's important for all photographers in a list of three traits.</p>

[leicaglow]

<p>- Technical excellence<br>

- Drive to execute their vision and goals<br>

- Ability to market their work, including the ability to effectively network and talk with people</p>

[bobatkins]

<p>The ability to see creatively</p>

<p>A strong desire to be a photographer</p>

<p>A passion for whatever subject they photograph</p>

[cyanatic]

<p>In your opinion, what defines a "good photographer", Riz? Money earned? Popular accolades earned? Critical accolades earned? Client base? The number of people who think they're good now? The number of people who will think they're good in 50 years? All or none of the answers above could apply. Matt probably said it best:</p>

<blockquote>

<p>There are too many reasons to shoot, and ways to do so, to sum up what's important for all photographers in a list of three traits.</p>

</blockquote>

<p> </p>

[Lou_Meluso]

<p>1. Maintains a childlike sense of curiosity and wonder</p>

<p>2. Gets deep personal pleasure from making good pictures</p>

<p>3. Understands the four P's : <strong>P</strong>assion, <strong>P</strong>ractice, <strong>P</strong>atience, and <strong>P</strong>ersisitance</p>

[ben_goren]

<ol>

<li>Doesn’t drool much.</li>

<li>Doesn’t wet pants often.</li>

<li>Is discrete when picking nose.</li>

</ol>

 

<p>Cheers,</p>

 

<p>b&</p>

[jpo3136b]

<p>General mastery of photographic fundamentals: Internalized and intuitive understanding. Visualization would probably be the most important of those. Rapid and effective mental computations of the mechanics of making the photo, second. A knowledge base extensive and intense enough to improvise any part of the process, at will.</p><p>Empathy and intellect: the ability to recognize and see into the situation with the mind, not just reacting. This would include research, design, interviewing, logistic coordination; the legwork that supports the photo. General purpose savvy. [intellect + experience + pain = wisdom.]</p><p>People skills and environmental endurance: dealing with the people and the situation to get the photograph done, all the way through. No point in trying to photograph and scale the side of the mountaintop if you know you need an oxygen tank to shuffle across the parking lot. Every environment and situation has its own favored characteristics in people. This counts even if there are no people in the photo itself.</p>

[JDMvW]

<p>What else?</p>

<ol>

<li>f/11</li>

<li>1/125th second</li>

<li>be there</li>

</ol>

[robert100]

<p>are you talking about a sports photographer, a war photographer, someone who is out alone by himself at the back and photographs sunsets and is dealing with only his own emotions and timing, or a wedding photographer who faces trying to get seven weeping bridesmaids, two mothers, and a bride who is ovewhelmed with emotion, to work togetehr for half and hour to produce the beautiful result the bride expects ? or a "baby" photographer trying to produce beautiful images of babies ? the most important attributes that wedding photographer needs are a lot closer to the ones the war photographer needs than they are to someone who is working sunsets on the beach forty miles from the nearest other person</p>

[Mary Doo]

<ol>

<li>Ability to utilize his/her knowledge of light, tools, subject, composition,... to convey a situation in a pleasing and/or captivating manner that results in a "successful" piece of photography.<br /><br /></li>

<li>Ability to plan/research, pre-visualize, and focus on a vision, expressing it just so, no more and no less - very much like an effective essay or speech that persuades, convinces, inspires, moves.<br /><br /></li>

<li>In addition to understanding light and tools, and the potentialities and limitation of certain subjects, I believe the best photographers are instinctive naturals. When asked to explain, they may need to stop and think about why they did what that made that shot so good.</li>

</ol>

<p> </p>

[scott_ferris]

<p>The ability to not hit the brides mother.</p>

<p>The ability to convince the person you are trying to sell your vision to that it is supposed to be under exposed and blurry.</p>

<p>The ability to turn back time so you don't miss the shot you just missed the second time around.</p>

[mark_drutz]

<p>Patience</p>

<p>Curiosity</p>

<p>Open mindedness (open to new ideas)</p>

[philipward]

<p>Doesn,t give a damn what others think of his/her work.<br>

Knows enough to get the job done.<br>

May have hobbies but photograpy is not one of them.<br>

Of course the above applys only to personel work.With payed gigs could be a disastor or brilliant!</p>

[sd_woods]

<p>Luck is all you need to do well in anything. You can't really learn it though</p>

[KenPapai]

<blockquote>

<p><em>In your opinion; what are the </em><strong><em>top three</em></strong><em> </em><em>traits </em><em>of a good photographer.</em></p>

 

</blockquote>

<p>1. Understanding light: its color, content, and direction and how it guides you into framing your composition<br>

2. Excellent equipment (lens + body + whatever else) and technical KNOWLEDGE<br>

3. Excellent post processing skills to the final print</p>

[kevin_delson]

<p>1) Being there and loving every minute<br>

2) Seeing the world around you as only you can<br>

3) Wanting to make a difference capturing a moment forever</p>

[bkpix]

<p>Interesting that no one mentions:</p>

<p>1. People skills<br>

2. Understanding of visual communication.<br>

3. Some grasp of art history.<br>

... All of which may be why so much photography is so bad.</p>

[JDMvW]

<p>It's important to be</p>

<blockquote>

<p>discrete when picking nose.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>as in you can pick your friends, but you shouldn't pick your friend's nose.<br>

but it's also important to be <em>discreet</em> . ;P</p>

<p>so Bob, how can you say that no one has mentioned "people skills"?</p>