[Leica] What are the most important aspects of a photographic image?

[pswango at att.net (Phil Swango)]

Over the years I have come to believe that the most important attribute of a
photo is whether it lingers in the memory.  I remember many great images by
HCB, AA, etc., not because of any one factor like light or composition, but
because the totality of the elements that make up a photograph,
collectively, caused the picture to stay in my memory.  Sometimes it's a
not-so-great photo technically (Capa's Omaha Beach or Fallen Soldier, HCB's
puddle jumper), sometimes it's content, sometimes it's composition,
sometimes it's something else.  OTOH, I've seen a lot of technically great
photos of beautiful scenes that I've promptly forgotten.  That's not to say
there's no place for such photos, but they're not "great" if they don't
persist in memory.  At least in my opinion.

-- 
Phil Swango
307 Aliso Dr SE
Albuquerque, NM 87108
505-262-4085