What makes a great photographer?

This morning was like most every morning. I get up and do my usual prep work before I start to write, make coffee, brush my teeth, do routine hygiene, turn the computer on browse the morning news, some social media posts. The first thing I see on my home page looking at news headlines was a link to “trending now searched”. Amongst the trending now searches were “famous photographers”. Okay, I’ll bite.

Most of the names from the link I recognized. I browsed through some of their works and then I thought, “what makes their works so much better or worthy of fame than my work or the works of others I know?” Yes, many were compelling photographs but they didn’t appear to be more compelling than many others I have seen from photographers who are displayed at the Museum of Modern Art. Is it marketing? Is it being at the right place at the right time? Is it time? Is it knowing someone (politics)? While it would be a great honor to have work displayed in some major art museum does it may our work any less than the so-called famous photographers?

I would venture to say that much of the work you and I do is just as good, often better than those we hold as the “masters” and famous photographers. I would also venture to say that we have the tools via social media and the internet to reach a much wider audience. We have the potential, with just a bit of work on our part, to become influential to current trends and the history of photographic art.