By George Barr

A lifetime of enjoying wonderful images has taught me a number of important lessons. One conclusion is that really wonderful images often share certain traits and that a study of these characteristics could repay us when we make our own images. I would not want to suggest that there is a formula for creating great images, but if the best images usually do things one way, perhaps we should have a good reason before we go a different direction. Further, while I am uncomfortable with calling these characteristics as rules, understanding how and why rules work can often lead you to also understanding how best to break them.

I have been studying great photography for more than 40 years, reading magazines, buying books, acquiring prints and more recently taking advantage of the web. Over that time I have learned a lot and tried my best to use that knowledge to improve my own images. I suspect that I am like you and that a handful of our images are far better than all t...