I got a new lens for my camera. A somewhat ancient and battered looking object, which must have been originally mounted on a analogue "Nikon" film camera. Nonetheless, it is great fun to take photos with it. Focussing is actually pleasant with this lens, when you compare it to the "Canon" lens originally installed.
That one always felt as if it was designed with auto-focus in mind. You can also regulate manually how much light you want to take in. Did I mention that this metal cased lens looks funny on the plastic body?

Taking photos together can be fun. You can learn from your partner by how and what he is photographing. As a bonus there is images of him or her squinching their face while photographing.

The photos in this post were taken on a few occasions in Berlin. Most of them on a walk through Hohenschönhausen and Lichtenberg. My friend and me stumbled upon a former East-German police facility, ruined buildings, high-rises and a surprisingly sunny day in February.

What makes a photo a good photo? Gemoetrical principles probably play an important role. Concepts like the golden ratio or the existence of geometrical shapes in the image. Colours and light are significant as well. This sounds very technical. But I think that there is probably a lot of mathematics in play when you say to yourself: "Wow, this is a nice photo!"

There is another aspect when talking about "good" photos. And as far as I can see it, that one has to do with this squishy thing called meaning. A matrix of pixels arranged in the right way can make you cry, laugh or think about why the hell you are wasting your time looking at photos.
The German flag in the second photo from the top might be a good example. In it's essence it is a graphical object. But it has a lot of different connotations. The person who hung it in their window might feel very proud when seeing it. The person looking at it in the photo might have somewhat more mixed feelings about this object.

A "good" photo abides geometrical laws and carries meaning? I have no idea. But they certainly play a part when you look at photography.
In the end there is probably no single answer to what constitutes a "good", pleasant or interesting image. But if you feel something when you look at it the photographer has probably done at least something right.
If you, dear reader, are more knowledgable on this topic than me (and I am sure some of you are), than please write me an email! Maybe you have same good literature recommendations? Would be greatly appreciated.

See you soon!