A great photograph is an experience. It is seeing the image and feeling in love, amazed, inspired. It is the perfect alignment of light, lines and perspective that opens myriad doors; time travel, instant travel, dreams and imagination, connection, memories, nostalgia and even liberation. How does this work?

1. Philosophical / universal

The photograph resonates with something deep inside you, a truth you weren’t able to express before but somehow knew was there and knew to be true. The fact that this inner truth is now visible in the outside world by means of the photograp connects your inner world with the outer world. This creates a sense of freedom (that which has been expressed no longer has to be carried around) and of being seen (the outside world has confirmed what you felt inside). It also makes it possible to now share that inner truth with others through the photograph.

2. Transcendent memories in the individual experience

The photograph resonates with a memory, but not those memories you can recount, not the ones stored with words. Instead it evokes those memories that are physical, such as a scent, the light at a particular time, the sound of crickets on a hot summer day and makes us feel through such tiny a detail the indescribable essence of our short human existence.

3. Travel

The photograph allows you to imagine being present at a particular moment or event, especially in documentary, photojournalistic, and landscape photography. They enable travel without moving an inch and can even make you time travel. The autochromes at the Albert Kahn Museum in Paris, detailed and over a century old, instantly transport you to their time and place.

The autochromes displayed at the Albert Kahn museum in Paris are a perfect example of this incredible power. Relatively detailed, especially for images over a century old, these images instantly transport you to their time and space when contemplating them.

4. Educational

The photograph changes your perspective on something you thought you knew inside out. The easiest examples of this can be found in macro photography. The camera allows you to see in ways impossible to the eye. The placement of the camera allows us to enjoy perspectives otherwise unattainable.

5. Intertextual

The photograph evokes connections to other works you've encountered, such as movies, books, or songs. This intertextuality enriches the photograph's meaning by adding layers of context and personal memories. By reminding you of a beloved film scene, a favorite novel, or a cherished song, the photograph allows you to experience multiple layers of enjoyment and connection all at once.

6. Desire

The photograph makes us dream or desire. Life is all about missed opportunities, because we refused to take decisions or because we took the wrong ones. Many a photograph can appease this painful truth as they allow us to experience “what could have been” through our imagination and thus save a little bit of the opportunities lost.

7. Representation / symbolism

The photograph symbolizes a moment that we’ve collectively or individually attributed a great amount of importance to. As such it is has become more than a visual representation. It has become the vehicle that carries all of the historical and social weight from the event it refers to.

8. Storytelling

The photograph tells us a compelling story. Humans love storytelling. Stories, like photographs, allow us to travel, to experience things without having been there when things unfolded. We love to talk endlessly about how a photograph came into existence; what happened the days before, what happened while taking the photograph, what happened afterwards, etc. Or even the story of the creator; who was he, why did he take photographs. By recounting these stories, we associate them with the image and the photograph thus no longer only carries what is being depicted but it also carries these stories.

*Arnold Schwarzenegger’s trash photographed by Bruno Mouron and Pascal Rostain | Curated by* *Rhapsody Curated*

9. Series / combinations

The photograph becomes meaningful in combination with another image. Photographs often gain additional meaning when viewed as part of a series or in combination with other images. Each image in a series contributes to a broader narrative or theme, making the whole greater than the sum of its parts. This relational context can deepen the viewer's understanding and appreciation of each photograph, highlighting connections and contrasts that might not be evident in a single image.

Similarly, the juxtaposition of images within a series can create powerful contrasts and connections, enhancing the viewer's understanding and appreciation. By placing images side by side, photographers can highlight differences, emphasize similarities, or build a more complex story that deepens the impact of each individual photograph.

Robin de Puy fine art photography — *Self-portrait & Walmart by* *Robin de Puy*

10. Aesthetics

The photograph reminds you of the mathematical truth that underpins beauty; anyone who’s played an instrument will know that the distance between two notes determines whether something is beautiful or not. The same applies to the space between lines in a composition, to colour and tonal ranges etc. What if these are inescapable because they define our human anatomy as well as the architecture of the natural world we are a part of. Aesthetics might very well be the external projection of our internal makeup, making it the third ingredient in addition to light and time needed to create a decent photograph.

What makes a great photograph?