What Makes A Picture Great?

I'm frequently asked this question by friends and clients, and I often give an answer that includes comments on composition, exposure and style.

Over the coming weeks we'll be chatting about each of these things here on the St. Michael Patch Photography Blog, but today is a wonderful reminder for me and each of you that the most important element of a photograph (in my opinion, of course) is that the image tell a story.  

A picture that draws a viewer in and makes them want to know the rest of the story is a great image. An image that makes you laugh (or cry) every time you look at it is a great image.  

A photograph that you will hold dear, whether taken with the best gear or your cell phone, is a great image indeed. 

My example today is from a moment this morning as the kids and I were hurriedly preparing to leave for work and school. I had asked my son to take out the garbage while I was finishing up inside.  

I came out to the car to find him in tears. My 7-year-old daughter was howling "It's stuck! It's stuck!". 

He had tried to push the garbage can between the two parked cars in the garage, and got it stuck. Completely and hopelessly stuck, because he kept on pushing.

As I quickly assessed the situation, I saw the very long line of scratches on both of our car doors, and the completely dejected look on his face with the tears and quivering frown.

Many mornings I would have been unable to hide the incredulous disbelief that only a parent of a well-meaning child can have, but thankfully this morning I simply gave him a hug and told him they were just cars. He felt badly enough as it was.  

Before I grabbed the handle and started working on getting the garbage can "unstuck", I quickly snapped up my phone and took a picture.  

Is it a great picture that technically has style, proper exposure, and composition? No. Would it win any awards? Not a one. 

I posted this picture on Facebook this morning with a brief description of what happened. So many parents responded with a laugh and tales of things their own children have done through the years that probably made them cringe in horror at the time, but years later they can laugh about it.

I just chose to laugh today. 

*Do you have a picture of something your child did that you can laugh about now, but maybe couldn't when it happened?  Post them in the Neighborhood Gallery  here on Patch and tell us the story!  We'd love to laugh with you.