What Makes A "Perfect" Image? | Memphis Senior Photography

As a professional photographer, I try to make sure every image I take is perfectly framed, perfectly in focus, and perfectly lit. But no matter how hard I try, there will inevitably be images in a set that don't meet the technical standards that I set for myself. Most of these images wind up in the "rejected" pile, and are eventually deleted in favor of a more "perfect" frame.

However, there are times when the emotion or artistic content of the image trumps any lack of technical aptitude. Have a look at the image below. We were nearing the end of a fun and relaxing senior portrait session when the girl's mom made her laugh. I had already framed the image and focused on her eyes when she threw her head back and laughed. The aperture on the camera was set pretty wide, so when she moved, her eyes when a little out of focus.

When I brought the image home and looked at in my computer, I was initially a little disappointed that it wasn't "perfect", but even with its technical shortcomings, I was inexorably drawn to it, and kept it as part of the final set. The girl's mom felt the same way. She fell in love with the moment and the emotion of the image.




So next time you take a picture and see something technically imperfect, give it another look. Is there something that draws you to it despite its shortcomings? Give it another look, and see if others see the same thing that you see.

Happy photographing!
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