Many good photographs have strong graphical design elements such as line, shape, form, color, tone, texture and pattern. Others simply capture a memorable moment in time. Jay Maisel summarized his opinion on the key components of a quality image in three words: Light, Color and Gesture.

Great photographers are able to intuitively judge what makes for a great photograph -- and what should be done with lighting, composition, and focus to make that vision a reality. A great photographer is familiar with contracts, copyright laws, and other legal issues that may present themselves .

Photography is the art and science of capturing images using light and a camera. The word photography is derived from the Greek words "photos" meaning light and "graphia" meaning drawing or writing. It involves using a camera to capture an image of a subject and preserving that image as a permanent record.