What makes a good picture?

What makes a picture good can elicit a number of responses, depending on whom you ask. For me, a good picture is one that provokes, engages, and stays with the viewer long after they have turned their back. Among a variety of things, good pictures can document the lows and highs of our everyday reality, capture fleeting moments and freeze what may have lasted a mere two seconds. They force us to question what we are looking at and most importantly, a good picture makes us wonder. Why did the photographer take this picture? What lies just beyond what the lens was able to capture? What is the meaning behind the image? Has manipulation played a role in any manner? Good pictures serve as a source of dialogue and debate; they have the ability to provoke discussion, interpretation and ultimately, illustrate how another person sees the world in which we live.