So, there’s a wildlife photography group on Facebook that celebrates moments in natural life that probably won’t go into the history books, but they will certainly go down in history as some of the “best” photographs of animals out there.

Yep, we’re talking about Crappy Wildlife Photography, which is home to over 455,000 crappy animal photography lovers.

So, for context, what makes a photograph good or bad?

For the common Joe with a simple approach to enjoying pictures, it’s whether they like it or not. It’s a mere criterion of taste, which, while it can have objective determining factors, usually it’s subjective and that’s quite alright.

However, when you get into professional photography and the idea of practice makes perfect curses your eyesight forever to start seeing all that is bad in a piece, you begin to understand just how hard it is to pull off a good photograph.

Photographer Kevin LJ lists 5 key criteria that have to be mastered in order to make a good photograph: light and exposure, composition, color and tone, timing, and relationship.

Light is a must in photography. If there is none, there won’t really be a photograph, essentially.

Depending on the lighting, it could influence the quality and mood of the image. There’s soft light and hard light, the first of which comes from larger sources and produces gentle shadows and smooth transitions between the different lights, while the hard one comes from small sources and creates contrast.

Then there’s composition. A word that’s self explanatory in and of itself, but, in photography, it’s taken to a new level. It’s a certain kind of game of what to include and exclude in the final image, and how to position everything to have meaning as well as to be engaging. It is supposed to guide the viewer’s eyes, show where the emphasis is, and to express its message.

Another key criterion is timing. Timing is all about determining which is the precise moment that you want to capture. That entails understanding what the significance of the scene is and putting it into perspective. Timing can convey a mood, a narrative, or evoke a powerful emotion on the part of the viewer. All of this as part of the photographer’s vision and mission for the photograph.

Color and tone are essentially the hues and shades of the image. They are a part of what gives images a look, a vibe, an atmosphere.

The two work together to create a visual interest, to evoke feelings and to improve upon the overall composition of the photograph. As such, these elements can be tweaked to create visually striking and resonant images.

Lastly, relationship. It is the connection between the photographer and the subject being photographed. And no, it doesn’t have to be an actual human being—it can be whatever that is in the photo.

This signifies the photographer’s understanding of and empathy with the subject, which influences how authentic and genuine the photograph will be in its message. It’s like reading between the lines, except with cameras.

Needless to say, these factors overlap and collaborate in a sense to create a single unified and harmonious image. So, all of them ought to be managed and tweaked accordingly.

But, if that fails, hey, there’s ample locations where your anti-talents and less than successful work can find meaning. The internet is full of these places.

So, what are your thoughts on any of this? What are some moments in wildlife photography that you wish you saw more because it makes you giggle uncontrollably? Share your takes and stories in the comment section below!

And if you want more, we’ll give you more.