What do you look for in a photograph?

[KiranPatelphotography]

Please feel free to post what you look for when buying a photograph, this is to help me with my photos to insure the criteria is what people are looking for and professional. But post as much as you like if you want so we can have a big discussion of what everyone likes or dislikes....

Please include:

What you Like/Dislike
What would make you want to buy it e.g colours, skills, memories
Professional Photographer Skill: for you pro photogs, what you guys think make a good photo.

[RichardTaylor]

It must be better than I can take.

I have only purchased one photograph, and that was may years ago. It was techically very good, however the main reason was content - a record of a world clas performance that I was lucky enough to see (memories).

What makes a good photograph?

I feel a lot of it is content and how the viewer relates to that content. If the content is strong enough the it doesn't have to be technically perfect.

What I like doesn't really matter (except for personal stuff) .... does it meet or exceed a customers needs, and than can mean almost any subject depending on the customer.

I am just a hobbyst.

[EnergizedAV]

As much as I do my best to get it right or the best or technically correct, if it"grabs me" is the bottom line.
That is up to the circumstance and the photographer.
It may be a result of mastery or pure happenstance.

[rspears]

I most like photographs that have human emotion. Those pictures that grab you by the throat and won't let go... they force you to keep staring. It's the pictures that tell a story. A whole story from "Once upon a time..." to "The End" in 1/125th of a second...

[NewPhotoGuy]

That's kind of subjective, since what one person thinks is garbage, another might think of as a good photograph. I have purchased pictures before, both for in home use, and for advertising in my business (tax busines, not a photography business). I always look for a picture that successfully portrays an emotion or feeling to me. It can be something that triggers a memory, or maybe just how the picture makes me feel when I look at it.

In terms of purchasing an image for advertising, I look for something that will catch the readers attention where they will actually take 2 seconds to glance at the ad. It all depends on what I'm going for in the particular ad, so its kind of hard to pinpoint it to a specific type or style of photograph

[mottyboy]

I have absolutely no idea what i like until i see it.........

[denimmaterial]

I have never bought a photograph. However, when I look round exhibitions, my one criteria for deciding what's really good is "I wish I had taken that!"

[Xposurepro]

LOL it needs to look like it was shot on a cell phone. Every passing year I have more and more clients request things that make me cringe.
As photographers, I think we're at a point in this industry where we need to focus more on educating the public and attempting some damage control. I could show a client a photo that was out of focus, filled with color noise, light flares, improper white balance, bad exposure and poor composition and they'd think it was awesome.
I wouldn't focus on doing a few things the way some people like. Focus on doing everything in a professional manner (which includes everything from emotion to technical perfection)