How to pick a good photo?

How to pick a good photo out of hundreds shots? I had ask myself this question again and again but has no answer for it, as it seems like shots that I thought is nice always get different comment from other people. I had puzzle for sometime and has really no clue on that. Until today, when I had a stack of 3 months photo to process, I realize one thing - All these years, I had pick the "good" photo according to my memory on the event, not based on what I saw on the photo.

This sounds really a bit weird but, this is what I experience. Usually I used to pick out the "good" photo straight after the event, while the memory in my head is still fresh. This actually had somehow blinding myself as I was trying to pick out a photo based on what I remembered during that moment instead of the resulting image which sit in my storage.

A good photo come with 3 main components:

1. Good composition.
2. In focus.
3. Tell a story.

Good composition:
What makes out of a good composition? It means when you photograph an object, it doesn't somehow get cut off here and there, like a half headed man. Well, we can always argue about the artistic value of breaking the rules, but usually it turns out to be bad.

How about a shots that is too busy? Usually this type of shots can be saved, as cropping and tilting in post process is easy. When I decided to use this type of shot, it means that it has recorded down a very special moment. :)

In focus:
A photo in focus is really important, a sharp image really stand out. :)
There is only that much of unsharp mask you can apply in photoshop before it starts to get lots of noise and halo. So, make sure to pick a really sharp (in focus) photo. :) Unless you got no more choice. :P

Tell a story:
This is the most important factor out of the 3. A photo tell a story is priceless, no matter it is good composition or in focus or not. :P
Use this as the first priority when picking out a good photo. :)