What makes a good photo?

Just married

(Christof Stache,AFP/Getty images/ July14,2010)

Germany’s defender Philipp Lahm kisses his wife Claudia, former Claudia Schattenberg, in a carriage after their marriage in the church of Kleinhelfendorf in southern Germany. Lahm came back from the FIFA world Cup in South Africa on July 12, where his team placed third.

This was one of 118 photos that was published by the Chicago Tribune in a feature entitled “Photos in the News” on their website for July 14, 2010. Viewers were invited to leave comments regarding the photo in the feature.

I did not leave a comment, but I thought that this might be appropriate: “Congratulations to a VERY happy couple”.  Or maybe this would be appropriate: “Oops, another ‘wardrobe malfunction’.

What do you think? What would you comment about this photo? Is this a good photo?

Perhaps Philipp and his new bride, Claudia, would be more pleased to have this photo in their personal album of photos from their wedding where they could reflect on the moment through the years and share it and other pictures with members of their families and other friends than to have it published on the Internet for all the world to see.

Philipp and Claudia are obviously a very happy and beautiful couple, as the photographer caught them in this special moment following their wedding.  But this photo has a lot more to illustrate than just the joy of the moment.

I would invite you to consider a statement that I have written about “A Good Marriage” on my website as you consider your response to this picture. It can be viewed here: a good marriage

I would suggest that one of the great qualities of this photo is that it captures the special blessing that comes to couples as they give and receive the special personal expressions of their love and affection for each other. I think that most viewers of this photo will recognize that it is much different than many of the “kissing” photos that are displayed and preserved in most wedding albums. It portrays qualities of tenderness and respect that are very important in any “good” marriage.

As you reflect on this photo and my statement on “A Good Marriage”, what do you see in this photo that illustrates some of the principles that I have given in this statement? Let’s talk about this photo and what it takes to have “a good marriage.