Seven Plus Seventy Photography Essentials

There are only seven things a person needs to know about photography.

Or, maybe there are seventy seven.

Or, maybe both statements are true.

Here are seven essential things:

• exposure
• focus
• timing
• composition
• light
• color
• interest

Master these seven things and a person can make good or even great photographs.

But for those who want to go the extra mile, here are seventy more* things:

• focal length
• aperture
• shutter speed
• iso
• depth of field
• persistence
• subject
• balance
• context
• framing
• contrast
• white balance
• bokeh
• point of view
• dynamic range
• posing
• horizon
• foreground
• background
• reflection
• cropping
• proximity
• trust
• respect
• rapport
• shadow
• highlight
• motion
• calibration
• orientation
• noise
• distraction
• vantage point
• vision
• audience
• perception
• culture
• metaphor
• angle
• distance
• opportunity
• perseverance
• excellence
• stability
• interest
• posture
• surprise
• relationship
• flare
• distortion
• compression
• distraction
• intrusion
• perspective
• battery
• memory
• inclusion
• exclusion
• backlight
• infinity
• post production
• expectation
• dynamic range
• creativity
• recognition
• abstraction
• attraction
• skill
• instinct
• luck!

* This is not a complete list, there are probably another 77 more. What did I miss?

Keep all 77 of these things constantly in mind, and you can create great photographs almost every time. :-)

Notice that none of these things has to do with the brand or model of the camera; film or digital; or your wallet; or how long you've been making photographs; or how much you've been published; or how much you're paid for your photography. Anyone can change any of those things (and there's nothing wrong with that) but those things will never have much to do with this list of seven (or seventy) things that affect the making of great photographs.