Redefining What Makes a Photo “Good”

Is this a good photo?

It’s a question we’ve all asked ourselves while looking through the viewfinder. Maybe it’s just a fleeting thought in your mind as you review it on the backscreen, or perhaps you share it with a friend. There’s something you’re drawn to about the photo, but you can’t quite put your finger on why. You start to second-guess yourself.“I think this composition works, but I’m not sure? I think this might be a keeper?” Have you had those thoughts before? And in that unsure headspace, you’re hoping someone else will reassure you that, “yes, it’s good,” or give you that validation you may crave.

Let me ask you this: Does it really matter? I’ve come to realize that the real question isn’t “Is this a good photo?” but rather “Why do I feel the need for that answer?” Photography, after all, is subjective. In the end, when you're reviewing your images on your computer or in your camera, the only person who can truly decide if a photo resonates or “works” is you. Sure, there are some general guidelines, like composition “rules” and technical standards, and sometimes working against or bending these guidelines can actually enhance your photograph. It’s too simplistic to label a photograph as “good” just because it ticks all the conventional boxes, like rule-of-thirds, perfect symmetry, or using leading lines. These guidelines, of course, exist for a reason because they are the underlying framework of what makes a strong photo and they work! But they don’t define a photo’s worth if your creative intention lies elsewhere. More often, the true strength of an image resides in how it makes you feel: the mood carried in the light, the unspoken narrative, the emotional resonance it holds. A photo doesn’t have to be technically perfect to be strong or “good"; what matters is the story, the emotion, and the connection it evokes.

Shift from judgment to curiosity

What if, instead of asking if a photo is “good” or second-guessing yourself when you review your images, you asked:

What’s working here?

What feels off?

What does this photo make me feel?

Why do I like/or not like this specific photograph?

What elements about this photo feel like me?

Does this photograph convey the story/message/essence that I wanted to capture?

What would have improved this composition or photograph?

This change in perspective transforms your relationship with your work. It helps to remove your ego from the equation so you can view your work with both clarity and compassion. This dual perspective, seeing and feeling objectively and subjectively. You’re both critiquing your work and learning from it. It takes the insecurity or uncertainty out of the process because you are looking at your photo through the lens (excuse the pun) of curiosity and reflection. This change in attitude opens you up to having a more compassionate, curious eye to your work. It also invites you to have a conversation with yourself and your photography: What is your style, and does this photo represent that? Is this photography aligned with your aesthetic? What is your direction? I also want to remind you that all of this comes with time, practice, and lived experience. You might not always know, in the moment, what would make a photograph stronger or “better.” That’s where the beauty of continued learning comes in, and keep showing up with a student mindset. Study the work of others, watch videos on YouTube, flick through photobooks, shoot as much as you can, listen to your favorite photography podcasts, and stay curious. Sustainable growth is often quiet, steady, and requires an open heart, eyes, and mind.

Practices to help reframe

Some gentle practices to try after you review your images or ones that you’re aren’t sure are “good” is to take a moment and jot down or simply reflect on what you love about the photo, why it works or doesn’t, does it reflect the story or message you want to share, if that’s relevant…

Another is to review your past work and see if you can notice some patterns. Do you shoot in a certain style or in a specific type of light? The more aware you are of your style and what you find compelling/interesting/beautiful, you can turn that question of “is this photo good?” to “does this look and feel like me right now?”

Continuing on that thread, here’s something to consider: take a handful of images you're unsure about. The ones that make you pause and wonder, “Is this even good?” Lay them out in front of you or review them on your computer, and spend a little time with each one. Reflect on what’s working and what’s not. What feels off? What feels like it’s almost there? Look for patterns, not to judge, but to learn about your work and your eye. You might discover recurring elements that speak to your instincts or reveal why something doesn’t quite land for you yet.

And one more reminder, though I know how difficult this is: try not to compare. It’s deeply human to do so, but as the quote says, comparison is a thief; it steals your joy and pulls you out of presence. It distracts you from your own path and your creative evolution.

Don’t let someone else’s version of “good” become your own measuring stick. Or you labeling someone else’s work as good. Define what good means for you. What qualities, moods, compositions, or technical choices feel and look like you? What lights something in you when you press the shutter? This is your visual language, your framework, your “standards” for what is “good” in your eyes. This is where you have creative agency to define what the standards are for you of what makes a “good” photo. By no means am I suggesting we throw out the traditional guidelines of what makes an image visually strong, quite the opposite in fact! Those principles and “rules” exist for a reason because they work. But it’s about balance. In one hand, you hold the structure and craft of photography, and in the other, your personal voice, your intuition, your aesthetic taste, your way of seeing. I think the answer to “if a photo is good” lies in that space where those two meet.

You get to decide what a “good” photograph is in your world while also keeping those traditional “rules" in mind. And that’s not only liberating, it’s fully stepping into your creative power and authenticity.

“No need to hurry. No need to sparkle. No need to be anybody but oneself. When you let go of the frantic search for validation, you find yourself exactly where you are meant to be, with the tools you need to go forward. It is from this place of quiet assurance that the most beautiful things emerge.” — Virginia Woolf from A Room Of One’s Own