Milwaukee Community Journal often used a freelance photographer named Harry Kemp.  He was a genious!  I'd bump into him all over town, at press conferences, sporting events, and even at the office.  He taught me a lot.

 

One thing Harry hated was "execution style photography."  That's where some unlucky people stand in front of a camera and pretend to smile.  Yuk!!!  Horrible!  He liked reality.

 

Good photos tell a story; they are dynamic, with tons of implied action and layers of meaning.  The longer you look at a good photo, the more stories it tells.

 

Really, the most important quality a good photographer needs is "the eye."  That is, the ability to recognize something worth shooting.  Every holiday I see hordes of people out with their expensive Nikons, shooting away at photos nobody will ever want to look at.  Equally important is an awareness of how light plays upon the subject of your photo.  Photography is the art of the interaction between meaning and light.

 

The second most important quality is speed and timing.  Great photos present themselves only for a second, then they are gone.  Great photographers always have that camera ready. 

 

Third, I'd say is technical proficiency with the camera itself. 

 

Though I've published a lot of photos and made some money doing it, primarily I'm a writer.  Hopefully someday I'll have time to really study this great art and truly become a master, like Harry.