PhotolisticLife’s Flickr Pool – Memorable Photographs

I monitor the PhotolisticLife Flickr pool daily (as well as the DecisiveShot’s Flickr Pool for Street Photographers) reviewing the images that readers upload and drawing inspiration from other truly talented photographers around the world.  Periodically, I choose images from the Flickr Pool to feature the website to draw attention to notable photographers and hopefully inspire others.  Today I want to talk about the process of creating memorable photographs and why that may be the single most important skill a photographer can possess.

It’s not enough to take a good photograph.  Good photographs are a dime a dozen.  Seriously, I’m amazed at how many good photographs are out there…  Photography may be one of the most competitive arts in the world.  Unless breathing loudly on an airplane is an art, seems like we have a lot of good loud breathers in the world as well.

What isn’t as common is memorable photography, photography that sticks with you for months or years down the road.  These are the photographs you see and want to emulate at some point down the road or they strike an emotional cord with you.  A memorable image is the secret sauce to getting noticed and staying relevant in photography.

This photograph was taken by Ben Casper on the Nikon Df .  This is one of those shots that you’d have a hard time getting out of your head.  The use of black and white was a good choice.  I sure hope her parents covered her in sunscreen otherwise she’s gonna have a sore tush.  If you take a moment to really look at the photograph you’ll notice the starfish behind the child as well, it adds to the composition and helps to make this a memorable shot.  Well done!

Helen M. Bushe uploaded this image she took with the Fujifilm X-Pro 1 and the Fujinon XF 18mm F2 R lens.  This image is a lesson to viewers to take your time and study photographs in order to really appreciate them.  When I first saw this photograph I knew I liked it but I wasn’t sure why.  Only after revisiting the photograph and spending a few moments looking at it did I realize that Helen captured quite a memorable image.  The timing of the people in their ride car was impeccable.  The gesture of the man lifting his arms up in the air strengthens the composition considerably.  I really liked the colors and leading lines of the wood floor leading up to the ride as well as the web of lights above the ride.

This is one of those spots that’s worth revisiting often and trying different settings, perhaps a slightly faster shutter speed (but not so fast as to eliminate the motion blur).  It would be interesting to see something in the foreground as well, it might act as an anchor and emphasize the movement of the ride.  Either way, the image is great the way it is.  Very nice!

Finally, one more shot by Helen M. Bushe taken with the Canon EOS 7D and the Canon EF-S 10-22mm USM lens.  This shot jumped out at me because of the fine art feel and the perspective.  The black and white processing is perfect for this subject.  She used a 10 stop neutral density filter to slow her shutter speed to 30 seconds in order to make the water look like glass and the clouds look like they were painted in.

By using the perspective she did, the ND filter, and black and white processing Helen was able to create an image that gets viewers to think.  Instead of taking a snap shot of this sculpture she used her knowledge of photography and light to create her own piece of art.

Do you have a shot you feel should be featured on PhotolisticLife.com?  Join the Flickr page and upload your favorite shots, they may make it onto the site.  Thoughts?  Leave your thoughts in the comments below.