What defines a great print in photography?

Episode 384 I was listening to some people talk about different photographs at a gallery. One point they discussed was what makes a great photographic print. One of them said that because art (vis-a-vee the print) was subjective, so you couldn’t define it. The other person was adamant that you could say what made a good print or not. Of course, I am glad they weren’t trying to define good art, as that really is subjective. For many photographers who are starting their printing journey, much of the joy comes from the printer making prints that sort of looking like the screen. But as your skills evolve, there comes the point where making a good print turns into a significant print. There are some criteria we can use to evaluate one print from another. We look at some criteria when judging the quality of a print or reproduction. Anyone who has ever examined their work in print and then in a magazine or book knows that print quality varies. I also think that most of us can agree that the quality of the image is enhanced with better printing, but not the only criteria we use to judge a photograph as good or not. This week’s podcast touches on the criteria we can use to judge the quality of a photographic print and how to talk about those qualities in a meaningful way. One of the questions I get asked frequently is what sort of equipment do I use to record my podcast. I have used a variety of equipment in the years that I have been recording, but here is the current list of equipment that I am using. Also as an FYI and full disclosure, the links are affiliate links to Amazon.