“Great photography is about depth of feeling, not depth of field”: Why your images should strive for emotional reactions, not technical perfection

What makes a memorable photograph? Is it the way in which it was taken, or the lasting impression the scene itself makes? This is an age-old question in photography, and one which I think Australian photographer and photography historian Peter Adams answered definitively back in 1987.

Around this time, Adams said something so simple yet monumental that it has become one of the most-recognized quotes in photography today: “Great photography is about depth of feeling, not depth of field.” With these 11 words, Adams, in my view, made it starkly clear that a composition is only as good as the emotional reaction that it evokes in viewers.

Nowadays, it’s too easy to become caught up in technique. With an internet awash with photography influencers pushing monster-megapixel cameras and the same videos of taking “tack-sharp images”, we can become overwhelmingly concerned with dialing in the right settings, rather than choosing scenes that stay with viewers long after they look away.

Adams’ advocacy for creating images that evoke strong emotions rather than striving for technical perfection is an approach I’ve been practicing for some time now. And it’s what I think all photographers, especially those at an early stage in their photography journey, should be focusing on.

Above: this landscape shot is technically and compositionally brilliant, but it’s the sense of adventure and awe that it inspires I like most

Don’t take this as me saying I’m just as wise when it comes to composing a photo as Peter Adams. Far from it. This man became a master of portraiture throughout a monumental 39-year-long project to document the defining photographers of the 20th century, which he published in 2021 as the book A Few of the Legends.

But Adams’ message is something I’d become familiar with before I came across the renowned quote, thanks to another and fellow Australian photographer, Mitchell Kanashkevich, who perhaps himself was inspired by Adams’ words.

Kanashkevich is a celebrated travel and portrait photographer whose work, reminiscent of Steve McCurry’s, is, in my eyes, up there with the best of the best. I can’t think of another photographer who’s inspired me more recently than Kanashkevich, and something he always talks about is the “visual communication” of your image.

For me, this is essentially the same message that Adams put across in 1987, albeit phrased differently. Strong images communicate a message with the viewer, and that message is an emotional one, be it curiosity, admiration, sympathy, or awe.

Above: this portrait leaves less breathing room around the subject than people normally do, but the tension this creates makes for a great image of this 96-year-old D-Day veteran

While Adams made his stance in the composition vs. technique debate clear with his quote, I don’t think he would ever say not to pay any attention to technique. After all, depth of field, shutter speed, and focal lengths, for example, all play a role in the meaning and “feel” of your image.

But the essence of Adam’s quote is that focusing on camera settings and sticking to well-defined rules of composition shouldn’t come at the expense of evoking an emotional response in your viewer. Because, it’s the latter they’ll remember, not how sharp the frame was, nor if it adhered to the rule of thirds.