Originally Posted by
mindforge
I think 50% Subject Matter + 35% Skill + 15% Luck = Great Photo.
Subject matter is a lot. Look at National Geographic photos. People love them so much because of the subject matter. What about that arab girl with the iconic green eyes that has been seen everywhere, a National Geographic icon. When that show was taken it was just another portrait shot of kids in the area, but to me that shot is fine art. Everything was perfect about it, pose, lighting and most important = the subject matter.
It also takes skill. A lot of skill. You have to get lighting right, exposure has to be spot on. You have to recognize opportunities, that to me is also skill. Recognizing when to take a shot is very important. Again, a lifetime goes into everytime a professional snaps one of these shots. The thousand portraits, the thousand landscapes that they have shot go into every pull of the shutter.
And luck. It takes a little luck too. Your photo needs to be seen by the right person. Sometimes, things just turn out right in your favor or something happens that gives you an opportunity to take a shot.
I think it takes skill but more importantly it takes a great subject. A good landscape photographer might spend all day getting to that perfect spot to shoot a valley. No one else ever gets that shot because they are not willing to hike all day to take it.